The building in which I work is an exemplar of brutalism–you can see it in all its glory here–and is built up on the side that is not featured in the image, which is also the side on which you may find my office. Those tiny shutter-style windows that mean in winter the whole floor tends to bleakness have protected my officemates and me from the worst of the heat.
What heat it is. Lift conversations, a fairly good index of what’s on the building’s mind, are solely about the heat. Even those with not yet much English can say “sooooo hoT!” with the emotive emphasis that transcends grammar. My tutorial and I trekked across campus to our teaching room this morning to find that some wise soul had switched the heat pump on to eighteen degrees. It was like teaching in a happy fridge.
I do not mind the heat too much, however, since days like this are small in number in summer, let alone in the calendar year. I suspect my tendency to be sedentary helps in this regard, as does having hair long enough to tie back. The dogs know how to position themselves in drafty doorways and stay very still, which helps them too, and means they need not lose their sightlines for regarding all that goes on in the world.
The poor señor works in a hot environment. Even the late shift doesn’t cool off much. He comes home, as Krusty once said of Homer, a steamed Gentile. One might wish for a hot man around the house, but not like this.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
A colleague of mine, very very close to retirement, has a thermometer on his desk. As soon as it reaches 28 degrees, a temperature he has deemed ‘the limit’, he phones facilities and gets all shouty.
I will admit to placing the thermometer very close to the fan on his desk printer to artificially raise the temperature.
I have also been known to strategically place another colleague’s star wars dolls (sorry, action figurines) into sex positions when he is in meetings…
sas’s last blog post..t-20
In the library at Concrete University there is a suggestion box for the library, whose letters and inquiries are answered by the University Librarian. For the entire time I have been at the university, I would say around half of those messages have been complaining about the library being too hot or too cold, through all seasons of the year.
Now that there is a notice which indicates the temperature in the library cannot be altered by the librarians, the messages have become more specific: behind the shelves in the north-north-east corner of level six is chilly in July, and so on.
As for action dollies: if their owner is going to leave them alone far far away from their galaxy, what can they do but what they should not?
My 3rd fav Gary Larson cartoon.
Nerds in Hell. (pic thereof)
Nerd says strolling through fire, Hot enuf fer ya!
merc’s last blog post..Better.
Hell is other nerds–
or, in hell, hell is other nerds–
or, hell is other nerds in hell.
I do normally feel a bit short-tempered when people I don’t know comment on the weather to me, but there must be some occasions on which it’s legitimate to ask if it’s hot enough (not in hell, though).
I hope you will share your second and most favourite Larson cartoons in appropriate posts!
My all time fav is impossible to describe so anyone doesn’t look at me strangely…here goes.
Pic; two cavemen sitting round a fire, one has extremely pursed lips.
Caption; Suddenly Thag channeled a 30,000 year old gibbon called Gus.
Inappropriate to this post, I know, but I love it so much.
merc’s last blog post..Better.
In that case, this may be the time to link to The Goodies singing “The Funky Gibbon” on Top of the Pops. The YouTube commenters are pretty appalled, but we used to love this when we were kids.
YouTub comments what can we say? There is always one searingly negative comment, but when you mention gibbons, funk and English comedians to a predominantly USA! audience, you’re buyin’ trubba.
Projection on the intertubes, we haz it.
My 2nd fav ever GL (not pertinent, or maybe so),
Pic; Group of deer in forest, one has a target seemingly painted on it’s chest.
Caption; That’s an unfortunate birthmark Hal.
Poor Hal; one hopes he was long for this world. I always enjoyed the nuclear engineer sneaking up on a colleague tinkering with a missile, ready to pop an inflated paper bag. However, I think I may have encountered that on a Far Side greeting card.
Pic; Group of deer in forest, one has a target seemingly painted on it’s chest.
Caption; That’s an unfortunate birthmark Hal.
Closely related to my favourite one: grizzly bear caught in the crosshairs of a rifle, looks, smiles a nervous smile and points hopefully to the unsuspecting bear next to him. Everybody agrees the cartoon was inspired by my dear friend Marco. It’s just what he’d do.
Giovanni’s last blog post..A Harvest Bird Compendium
The hypothetical actions of Marco put me in mind of LitLove’s recent frustrated critique of Darwinism. Your friend is a good Social Darwinist.
He’s that and more. But hey! Neat trick “giovanni’s last blog post”. Let’s see if this time your fancy blog can tell how much money I have in my pocket.
Giovanni’s last blog post..A Harvest Bird Compendium
How much money? The blog will take its cue from The Mighty Boosh and guess “over 35 Euros” (see scene eight, here). Although that would be about eighty dollars, yes?, so it’s probably too high.
I never have change. The señor tolerates my nagging him for bits of bus fare.
The paper bag one is 4th fav for me. The Mighty Boosh used to transport me to a place not dissimilar from my normal waking mind, especially Naboo.
Re great things people in love exchange between themselves.
D; What time is it? (I never wear a watch).
M: Time you got a watch.
I especially like the Boosh radio series, which is the first context in which I heard them. Or, rather, the first context in which I heard them was having drinks with two friends who spoke entirely in snippets from the radio series, thus excluding me and creating the need for further inquiry.