Thursday 6 December 2007

Randomness


I've been "tagged" by Bee to come up with seven random things, so here goes:
  1. 0.438 (according to my calculator).
  2. The picture above.
  3. Irn Bru is a banned substance in the USA.
  4. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
  5. If all the Smarties eaten in one year were laid end to end, they would go round the Earth's equator two and a half times.
  6. They've removed the entry about the man who ate a bicycle in the Guinness Book of Records in case someone tries it and sues them.
  7. The composer JS Bach died in 1750 after an operation on his eyes went wrong.(No anaesthetic, sterilisation, etc in those days...)
What's that? It's supposed to be seven things about me? Are there that many things you don't already know? Are there that many things at all? Oh well:
  1. Other people have a lot more confidence in my knowledge and ability than I do.
  2. Lethargy and Thoughtlessness are my biggest failings.
  3. I suffered from Petit Mal epilepsy as a child - they made me take a medicine so heavily laced with cherry flavour that it made me sick, and put me off cherry flavoured things for about 10 years.
  4. At a party, I'll be the one in the corner not talking.
  5. I drink too much, but I'm not an alcoholic, nor am I drunk all the time like Jean Knee says ;-)
  6. I've sung in 4 Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
  7. I was one of the few people at school who never had a nickname.

16 comments:

Berta said...

Hahaha! I wonder how many crazy things have been left out of Guiness. And how many crazy things there are...

Yeah, I'm the corner-dweller often enough as well. But just fire up those drinking skills and viola! Instant social butterfly...yeahh!

Jean Knee said...

are we supposed to pick out the one that is false here?

I pick "I've sung in 4 Gilbert and Sullivan operas."

as the false one

Bee said...

BRIAN!!! I love the the first 7 random things! Leave it to a Math Guy to take it literally! :o) Did I spell literally right? Looks wrong.

Bee said...

There are too many so here is the Bush Chimp.

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushchimplookalikes.htm

Big Dad said...

What is "Petit Mal" epilepsy? Is it different than the regular one? Regarding the nickname thing, I was the one that gave myself a nickname in school. Some people still call me Hulk.

Brian o vretanos said...

Berta:

At some point they started to worry about things like gluttony, then apparently took out all of the eating ones. I remember there was a record for eating baked beans with a toothpick.

Jean Knee:

It's true! I wasn't any good, but was an enthusiastic bass-baritone.

This haughty youth,
He speaks the truth
Whenever he finds it pays:
And in this case
It all took place
Exactly as he says!

Spelling Bee:

Literally is correct.

BD:

Petit Mal is "absence", when your concious brain shuts off for a few seconds or minutes. The sufferer doesn't realise. It often goes as you get older - mine stopped when I was about 10, but you do get adult sufferers. You don't have a fit, or collapse - just freeze (so I'm told).
The other epilepsy is "Grand Mal".

Brian o vretanos said...

Bee:

That link is GREAT!

Bee said...

Hey! I think blogger is better now. I got my comments e-mail.

Brian o vretanos said...

Good! It's still coming up at least partly in English though. Which is a real pain, as I'm not used to it ;-)

Bee said...

NO!! You mean you have to read in English??? The Nerve!!

Brian o vretanos said...

No, what's confusing is that all of the buttons and links are in English, especially when writing a post. And I'm just not used to it, so I have to double check everything before clicking on it...

Jean Knee said...

Brian, just what is the deal with you and Greek? Where do you live? why Greek?

Brian o vretanos said...

Jean Knee:

I live in Britain. I lived in Cyprus for a few years - I was born there, because my father was in the Army.

So in my teens I had this idea that I wanted to learn Greek. I learned the basics after we moved back here, but with no-one to talk to, didn't take it any further.

About a year ago I bought my first computer, and got internet access, and realised that I could use this to get Greek language content. So I have a rule that I use Greek wherever possible.

So I've no real need or reason to learn it - I'm fulfilling a lifetime dream. I wonder sometimes if I could get a job in Greece, then I'd really be able to get good at it...

Jean Knee said...

oh, I kinda know what you mean...I'm getting quite good at pig latin

I was born in Texas, I will die in Texas

seriously, I've never taken a foreign language but I know I'd suck at it

Anonymous said...

Uh, weren't you also supposed to list embarrasing moments? Just wondering.... ;)

Brian o vretanos said...

Anon:

Yes, but I couldn't think of anything. I was hoping no-one would notice. How embarrassing ;-)