Several Things
Hmmm.
I've spent several minutes (or perhaps at least an hour) in the past few weeks thinking of something entertaining to blog. Something interesting, or at least something I find interesting. I just came to the realisation that it's not about that, this thing called blogging. It's about... 'whatever'. Whatever I want. Whatever happened, or will happen, or something I saw or did or thought or experienced, anything at all. I am, after all, pretty new to this whole thing, and thought I've been doing pretty well on the content front, but seeing as I only started doing this to see what it's like, I've found that it's like... I dunno.
So I'm going to share a couple of observations and things that happened recently.
Last Saturday, after a night spent playing poker, I got a phone call while still in bed, from my little sister Sarah (aka 'Babs', regular commenter on this here site) saying she'd locked herself out of her room in her house, and was greatly in need of some 'big brother' (no, not that Big Brother) -style help. So I got out of bed, discovered to my horror that not a drop of hot water could be squeezed out of the shower, put on clothes, hat, and shades, got into my car, and drove like you can only drive with a bit of a hangover on you (that's very slowly, and very inconspicuously) over to her place (20 mins drive).
Sarah's room is on the 1st floor, and has a balcony which is within clambering height. Conveniently, the windows on the balcony were all locked tight, prompting much hmmming and head-scratching from myself, and looking at the not-very-within-clambering-distance rear window.Eventually, a dining table and stepladder were sourced from various parts of the house, and I climbed up on top. There was still a bit of a gap between me and the windowsill, so I did what I had to do, and performed a free-climber-style 'leap of faith', grabbing on and Spiderman-ing myself in the window, after which I was repeatedly proclaimed a 'hero' and the 'best big brother in the world' (I actually enjoyed the whole thing, and thought how good a Fireman I would've been if only... err... no). Job done, breakfast as a reward, home, shower, Grand Theft Auto (92% complete).
Anyhoo, here's my latest observation. Several times recently, in the area where I live (not the nicest in the world, but not the worst either), while walking to the shops, I have encountered several individual teenage girls walking the other way. On several occasions, when about fifty to a hundred yards away, I have noticed the girl taking her phone out, and pretending (assumedly) to talk to someone as they walked past me. I look around when they past, and they put the phone back in their bag. This has hapopened several times, and every time it was a different girl.
Now, I'm not exactly the most threatening-looking dude (I'm a bit of a sap in fact, imho), but still and all, do these girls think that by being 'on the phone', they are somehow safer against possible assault? If I was a mugger/whatever, would I be at all put off by my would-be victim being on the phone? My personal opinion is a resounding 'no'. Does anyone have experience with this phenomenon? Any girls reading this ever done anything like that? Let me know, and take my advice, don't do it. I think if I was someone with more of a violent/evil streak in me, I would be more inclined to attack, if only to rob their phone, in order to buy more smack or drink or whatever. My advice is to cross the road or walk faster or run the other way, if you think you are in any danger. But then again, of course, I could be talking out of my ass.
4.21-en
Geek Support, fixing of bugger-ups, moral support, code splicing, tech. administration, whining, über-nerdery and fetching of fluffy coffees by 
Comments
A fireman you say?? Ohhh.....I LOVE FIREMEN! It is not too late....?!
At least she didnt lock herself INTO her bedroom which I have done (surprise surprise) and had to ring a pizza company to get the number of the concierge of the apartment block who then had to break into my apartment and break the door down....all very traumatic it was. Only to happen again three days later....
As for the girls on the phone....nope never done that. But when I was younger myself and my friend used to talk about 'Mary and Billy' anytime we passed a big group of people (usually boys) in order to prevent that really awkward silence that happens in those situations.
Have you tried giving these girls one of your lovely smiles and a wink? I am very interested to know what they would do then. Note: A smile and a wink is all I allow :-)
Posted by: NKL | April 20, 2006 8:50 AM
Err... I think a smile and a wink might be worse than just keeping on walking, at least for the nervous girl anyway.
Posted by: Matt | April 20, 2006 10:59 AM
You are the best brother in the world, and you are a hero, well my hero anyway!! And kind of Spiderman, just think if it wasn't for you I could still be hanging out on the stairs in my nightie and stripy socks, and you are also the best brother for teaching me how to use my new camera, I suppose I do repay you in kind by cooking for you, which I actually enjoy, well its better than the pain of watching you cook :) ah no, you are not that bad, but you will be better when you get Chef lessons off the best little sister in the world (me!!) when you are your "burd" move into the new pad! It's all good in the hood!
Also, the girls where you live are obviously very easily intimidated if they are scared of you, I mean come on, I could take you haha!!
Posted by: Babs | April 21, 2006 11:58 AM
You could SO not take me, I'd kick your ass with a roundhouse, in a Chuck Norris stylee.
Posted by: Matt | April 21, 2006 1:07 PM
AHHH HAAA....but I BET myself AND Sarah could!
Posted by: NKL | April 21, 2006 1:56 PM
Ok now I'm starting to get a little scared. When your girlfriend and your sister gang up on you and talk about 'taking' you, it's time to hide in a cupboard eat chocolate.
Aaaaanyhoo, that's kinda off the point. Neither you nor Sarah would be the type who 'look' scared while walking down the street. These girls looked very nervous, and the 'fake-talking-on-the-phone' thing only made them seem more vulnerable, and therefore more attractive to would-be attackers. That's what I think anyway.
Posted by: Matt | April 21, 2006 2:02 PM
I could take you on my own using my 'deadly' yoga moves so there, and then Nikki could help if I really needed too, s'there!! Do they do the walking really fast and looking behind them thing as well, so obvious to would be attackers, they are like dogs, they can smell the fear, my rule is, even if you are scared don't ask it, there are scientific reasons for this involving adrenaline and noradrenaline which I will not go into, but it basically uses your 'fight or flight' energy up and then you can't lump the head off them of they do try something. The trick is to try and look like a tough cookie!!
Posted by: Babs | April 21, 2006 2:39 PM
How do you know for SURE that they arent talking to someone on the phone.
Maybe it is YOU with the wee problem....paranoia sets in...eat more chocolate...
Posted by: NKL | April 21, 2006 2:41 PM
It'd be easy to take the two of yiz, I'd just tickle you both to death.
How do I know they're not talking on the phone? How many phone conversations go:
'Hi! Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. Ok. I dunno. Yeah. (silence...) Yeah. Maybe. Yeah, I dunno. Ok.'
-And end without a goodbye?
TRÉS suspicious, no? Ok maybe not.
And Babs, is it not very hard to look like a tough cookie when you're wearing a skirt and flip-flops...?
Posted by: Matt | April 21, 2006 2:46 PM
That sounds exactly like a teenage girl conversation to me!!
Posted by: NKL | April 21, 2006 2:58 PM
sounds like a normal teenage convesation to me too, although it probably is a ficticious one, and no if I can do it in a skirt and with a ribbon in my hair (I know real girl clothes for me - shocking!!) anyone can, it's all in the face, 'you dirty look' the potential attacker, as in "are ye startin" and then they think "hmm better not go near this one" and then you are safe. Also you need to be able to run in the said shoes, in case that doesnt work!! And I can do both. Thems the rules!
Posted by: Babs | April 21, 2006 3:15 PM
Also, I can turn off the tickles when I need to! S'there!
Posted by: Babs | April 21, 2006 3:16 PM
I once saved your girlfriend from the same fate. Had it not been for me, you two might not have ever met.
Posted by: Adrian | April 21, 2006 3:59 PM
Whaddya mean? I have not previously heard of this. And what fate? The time she got locked into her apartment (I thought it was the concierge who saved her that time?)? Or was she attacked while pretending to talk on the phone...? MY POOR SWEETIE?!?!?! SOB!!!
:-)
Posted by: Matt | April 21, 2006 4:04 PM
Mr Sevitz was the kind person who provided a pretty panicked Nikki the number of the pizza place who in turn provided me with the concierge number who in turn rescued me.......I believe Adrian was watching something on TV that prevented him from doing the rescue himself :-)
Posted by: NKL | April 21, 2006 4:15 PM
I was watching rugby but came over as soon as it was over. I didn't have live pause in those days. But I did save you and the concierge got their quicker than I could have anyway.
You got rescued, I arranged the rescue. Hence i rescued you.
Posted by: Adrian | April 22, 2006 12:31 PM
I don't see arranging a rescue as being the same as doing the actual rescuing. That'd be like saying the emergency services operator you talked to rescued you, when all they did was radio for an ambulance or whatever.
Whereas I did some actual rescuing, genuinely. So there.
Posted by: Matt | April 22, 2006 12:38 PM
Without me there would have been no rescue. Ergo ...
Posted by: Adrian | April 22, 2006 3:19 PM
Ergo ... you are the emergency services operator. You had a part in facilitating the rescuing, whithout being the actual rescuer. Safety of friends and family beats watching a rugby match, for me. :-P
Posted by: Matt | April 22, 2006 3:57 PM
If I was Irish that would be true too, but my team actually wins the crucial games ...
:)
Posted by: Adrian | April 23, 2006 1:11 PM
...But it loses the friendlies against Ireland? :-P
Posted by: Matt | April 23, 2006 2:07 PM
Rugby is not football, we don't have friendlies. Only competitive games and training games.
Posted by: Adrian | April 23, 2006 6:46 PM
That's what's known as a 'critical change of subject'.
Ireland 17-12 South Africa. Controversial try or not! :-)
Posted by: Matt | April 23, 2006 7:20 PM