Someone asked in the comments of L's blog what his preferred super power would be. Pretty sure mine would be sleep. Just...sleeping through the night, no nightmares, no waking up and wandering around and worrying. The ability to nap instantly anywhere would be great too. I used to be able to do that. Doesn't seem to work very well anymore.
160 comments:
I'm sorry you're not sleeping (well), John. I'm not sure what works for you to get back asleep but I'm around if you want to talk to/at somebody.
The ability to have a full night's sleep would be amazing. I'm sorry you're not sleeping well. I hope that you can get some rest soon.
Yeah, what those up there said--I'm sorry you're having a restless night, John. And I hope you know if you ever want someone to be distracting or boring or to tell stupid bedtime stories...well, here we are. :)
Too bad you're too big to nap on top of the wash machine or the dryer.
Maybe a run tomorrow would be good for all of you. Motorbikes are fun, but they make for a different kind of tired than exercise.
rsf
Lestrade's going to be disappointed when he wakes up in the morning and sees that he missed RSF's short joke set up.
:D
wrote down what I think his short joke willbe - we'll see if I'm right.
Heh--good thinking!
(Anything I can do to help?) (With the being awake--or falling asleep--not with the joke. :))
No short jokes. Just a worry the universe has decided we're not allowed to have time together.
Late night, sleepless night, and now an early morning call out...
I'll make coffee.
Just posted on L's blog - doesn't look as if you'd get a day that's even marginally better than yesterday, does it? I'm sorry. Hope you'll find time today for a cup of coffee in a Starbucks-free-zone. Together.
If you find that super power can I have some of it as well please John?
To say good luck with your day sounds so weak and pointless Greg but its about all I can come up with, sorry. I do hope that at some point today is a better day and that you and John manage to find some time together :-)
Thanks. Morning full of blood and chaos. But I'm probably doing better than John if Sherlock's still in a grump.
I really hope Sherlock isn't in a grump but sleep isn't always a magic cure for that I know.
Blood never sounds good :-( good luck with sorting it out.
I'm sorry you both had a rough night, and I hope the day smoothed out for all three of you...
Oh dear. Sounds like none of you had a restful night or a peaceful morning. I hope the day improves, for all three of you.
Well....it hasn't got any worse :)
I am half asleep though.
Hope John's managed some more sleep.
Not worse is something, anyway...Maybe you'll be able to get off a bit early, or at least on time, to make up for the early call.
L - want to get coffee or something if you've got time?
I'm not very central, don't think you'd get back in time for Sherlock. He any better today? When does he start his kung fu again? He could do with it
Not sure. He was grumpy about you being gone this morning, but that may pass by the time I pick him up. Today or tomorrow for kung fu, depending on how well I think he'll behave in class. Didn't want to inflict him on the instructor yesterday.
Hey, Sherlock, I'm sorry I was gone early today. I'm going to try my best to get home early though. Maybe we can make dinner with a nice dessert? Please be good for John.
Did you get any sleep after dropping him off, Dange?
Yeah, fell asleep on the couch about the time I'd meant to ask if you wanted lunch, sorry. How'd it go this morning?
Still going. In a squat, so loads of stuff that might be evidence. It's taking a while. And got to be careful of all the used sharps and Shit (literally). Probably a drug related thing .
Sounds like a miserable day. Good luck.
Thanks. Haven't been able to ID the victim yet, which is slowing things a bit.
I totally agree about the sleep superpower. On the rare occasions I manage to get a full 7-8 hours it's like I have all KINDS of superpowers the next day.
I hope tonight is better! Take care, all of you. <3
I'm on the way home, kids!
that's the happiest you've sounded in days Greg :-D
here's to a fun relaxing evening with your boys.
They make me the happiest I've ever been.
Can we ride on your bike and go to Tesco and get things for dinner?
If ypu promise to hold on tight and be careful. The traffic will be a lot busier than you've been in before.
I promise! I'll be really careful!
And is John coming on his bike with us?
Whatever you do, don't try and touch any cars. We'll be squeezing inbetween some, but don't be tempted, right?
You said that beforeeee, I knowwwwww. No John can't come he won't be fun.
Well I'm pretty sure he will be fun. It's only shopping. How much fun can you have in a supermarket?
We could get one of every kind of ice cream, that would be fun!
We'd freeze to death on the way home on the bike. And we haven't got room for it in the freezer, and before you ask, no, we couldn't just eat it all.
We could pretend to be zombies and scare everyone.
We could. But we won't. Why do you think John won't be any fun? Because he's been trying to make you behave? Because believe me, it's no fun for anyone else when you're being cranky.
I had to sit on the naughty step FOREVER AND EVER I know it was longer than seven minutes it had to be. AND he wouldn't get me cake after school.
And why did he say you had to sit on the naughty step?
It clearly wasn't forever, because you weren't on it when I got home.
Sherlock, can you say why you've been feeling out of sorts, or is it that you don't know the reason? (It's not a good feeling, either way.)
That sounds like a fairly unpleasant way to have spent the day, L, I'm glad you at least got out early. And I'm glad you got a bit of rest this afternoon, John.
--RR (who can barely see the keyboard thanks to the dilating eye drops the eye doctor put in her eyes. :( )
It was ALMOST forever then. It doesn't matter what I did can't we just goooooo?
It matters to me, and it obviously mattered to John.
You don't have to tell me on here. You can just talk to me.
I'm perfectly content to be no fun at home, you two go ahead.
You sure?
If we go, Sherlock, will you tell me? You can talk while we ride, deal?
Okay.
Yeah, it's all right. I can start rice or something for dinner if you like.
John, as someone who has to deal with bad tempered kids can I suggest a cup of tea and a sit down while they're out and leave dinner until they're back. You need to take the opportunity to relax or Sherlock could come back happy as larry and you're still stressed from having to deal with him.
sorry its been a less than good afternoon for you I hope your evening is better :-)
Tea sounds good, yeah. He wasn't so bad the whole afternoon, but right after school was...trying.
Do you have any idea if something is bothering him or if it's holiday hangover? (He's lucky to have someone as patient as you, whether he realizes it or not. :))
--RR (who is slowly regaining her vision but not fast enough for the stupid captchas...)
back to school is never easy John, we had a full blown tantrum competition going on here this evening (I'm pleased to say I won ;-) ) but I hope Sherlock gives you an easier ride for the rest of the evening and the rest of the term :-)
I'm not sure he'll be in a better mood when we get home....
Oh, dear.
Comfort food tonight, perhaps?
good luck gents.
he formed a jury of the lady from the cheese counter, the lady from the deli counter, the boy from the bakery and one of the managers, and attempted to argue his case that a slug on a 'big leaf' was perfectly acceptable to give to a girl in his class as a hat. when I say 'give' I mean 'put it on her head'.
He lost his case. We bought cherries.
Did you get the sense of what his original intentions were?
(It would be wrong to giggle, because I would not have liked a slug on my head with or without a big leaf at age 7. I wouldn't freak now, but I would have then. So I'm not giggling at all.)
that's not great is it?
kids are funny things :-(
I'm not sure his exact motivation. He tried a few out on me... she likes nature-y things, she needed to learn slugs aren't scary, he didn't mean it, it was a REALLY BIG leaf - it would have taken the slug WEEKS to get to the edge onto her, it couldn't have hurt her...it goes on.
He's promised not to put any animals on anyone again without asking. And told me I'm boring. And then asked if I could accidentally get dead person's blood in me and die at a crime scene....so I assume he's done on the topic of slugs...
so I assume he's done on the topic of slugs...
Ha, yes, it does. :) And since he's very good about keeping his word, that's that settled, whatever it was he meant to do.
(Erm...Thinking back a bit...well, you might want to consider extending that to not putting socks--or anything else--on his classmates without asking them first. Because not everyone is okay with having socks on their heads, especially if they've come off classmates feet. Just sayin'.)
We covered the general 'putting things on people', as well as animals specifically. I just think animals are more likely to scare people/give people allergic reactions. Even the goos, who are lovely, could scare or make someone have an allergic reaction.
Excellent point! :)
He does seem calmer now. Thanks, L.
Yeah. But he hasn't thrown himself on the floor and howled lately, so it's an improvement.
do you really think that Sherlock can't tell the difference between a game at home and something he should do at school Rereader? Lestrade, John and Mycroft playing a game with socks isn't really linked is it?
try not to let him get to you John/Greg.
Ha, no, I told him that only boys who acted mature and sensible got to ride on the bike. But that did start the whole 'adults go to court and there's a jury thing...' still, the shop workers seemed to enjoy it...
It's kind of good that he thinks through an argument enough to try and present it to a jury I guess, I'm looking for a positive angle here can you tell? ;-)
Honestly, I think his thought process was limited to "I have just found this slug and I want to do something with it"...
Yeah, I think so too. Although I can believe he wanted her not to be scared... but exposure therapy doesn't quite work like that, I don't think...
Yeah. Maybe he can tell her something interesting about them tomorrow... If she'll have anything to do with him.
It sounds like Sherlock may like the girl. Maybe he just wanted to get her attention?
Apparently she called him slug-boy this afternoon...
By the way - the Google doodle here is the Tube Map. Very nice. They're running a steam train sometime around now to celebrate 150yrs of the underground. Can't imagine the tube run by steam...
I laughed. Really couldn't help it, but it did not improve his mood.
ha, yeah. Bet you got a proper scowl. Sockboy.
Also wouldn't mind having the super power to clean socks with the power of my mind.
honestly don't think I'd want a superpower. I'd feel like I had to use it for the good of the world or something. Flying would be handy...but then I wouldn't need my bike.
Flying motorcycle?
Like Pegasus, only different!
Empathy and/or telepathy would be a useful superpower--but only if I'd be able to turn it off at will.
not so much a super power then, is it? just a super-mode-of-transport...
I'm pretty content as I am, really. I think? I don't know.
Is Empathy a power? I've never really understood how it worked so maybe it is and that's why it comes and goes?
I can't help thinking that any super power would come with so much pressure to use it that very soon it would make your life far worse than it was before except of course if it was the power to sleep or to help your friends sleep, that is a super power that could never be over used :-)
Not the ordinary type of empathy, Anony, the superpower kind that they have in fantasy/science fiction, which is more like telepathy for feelings.
I'm not sure I entirely get the difference between empathy and telepathy for feelings.
Mycroft sent this. He said it would be interesting.
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/01/image/a/
All I managed in reply was 'Wow, great picture!'...yeah, not the scientific discussion he's used to.
Did the girl throw the slug off her head, and did it get hurt?
its probably the reaction he was expecting from you though :-)
RR - I'm not sure I understand the difference but my fantasy/science fiction knowledge isn't great so that might be my problem.
It is a great picture though.
Anon - she did, but Sherlock said the slug appeared unharmed.
I'm not sure I entirely get the difference between empathy and telepathy for feelings.
In the real world, to empathize with someone is to have an actively imaginative understanding of other people's feelings--deeply sympathizing. In F&SF terms, it's either literally sharing other people's feeling, or reading them straight from their minds--like Troi on Star Trek-The Next Generation. (My senior thesis in college was political commentary in S&FS in the 20th Century, so yeah, been exposed to rather a lot! ... Yes, nerd girl.)
Mm. I think I'm as empathic as I want to be, ta.
I did say only if I could turn it off! I just think it could be useful to know when people are faking or lying.
That picture Mycroft sent the link to is amazing! Mycroft, if you read this--is the lit-up ellipse in the picture the debris belt or the planetary orbit? I assumed the former, but then had second thoughts.
A perfect amount I would say Greg :-)
RR - I think reading other peoples thoughts straight from their brain sounds horrible, empathy works on picking up signals the other person is giving which they probably wouldn't give if they didn't want someone to notice. Mind reading freaks me out!!
I feel reasonably comfortable in my ability to pick up when people are faking or lying anyway, really. I wouldn't want to see any deeper. It'd be...well, I don't really see how it'd work. I don't think it would be very nice.
RR - I think the debris belt, from what that NASA page says. The planet doesn't look like it's following that line to me.
Well, Anony and L, I guess it would depend on the ethics of the person with the superpower, like any other power, super or otherwise. There's a lot of fictional exploration of the subject, because it is a fascinating "what if."
Thanks, L, about the picture. That was, as I said, my first reading, but I wasn't sure. It's wonderful how much we can "see" so far away!
But if it was going to be used to pick out when people were faking or lying, I'd presume it wasn't done with the subject's consent. And to get any real information I suppose you'd have to be able to read minds completely, to gain the context for the thought.
That doesn't make it inherently unethical. Electronic surveillance is done without the subject's consent, for example, and so is obtaining records of people's Internet use. Societies develop standards and mechanisms to deal with technological powers as they come up, there's no reason mental abilities should be any different.
(If it comes to that, we have the power to kill each other right now--and sometimes it would more unethical not to exercise that power than not. Mind reading is surely as susceptible to ethical analysis.)
I'm really confused now! what was that last comment supposed to mean RR I think I'm over tired or sumet, I can't make it make sense.
Think it's time for bed, for me at least. Lestrade?
I didn't suggest it was inherently unethical.
But - in this country, at least - things like Electronic surveillance are handled quite strictly by the law. If there's CCTV then there have to be signs up stating that - and people are free to avoid those areas, if they wish. Obviously most don't, because it would be hugely inconvenient. And most people don't mind, particularly. And then there are very strict laws on who can see the footage.
It's even harder to get internet records and things. but in both cases, once the information is gathered, it's there for all to see.
Telepathy or Empathy or whatever - if it's only one person's mind looking into anothers, who's to believe them? So does that mean you need more and more people backing up the first one? I think it is quite different, personally.
And for me, it's a step too far. It would be like a violation of my body, to me. Maybe worse.
yeah, sorry, bed sounds good.
Nothing complicated, Anony. The power to kill is more invasive and permanent than the power to read minds or emotions--but although the rule is "thou shalt not kill," sometimes the best choice, the only choice, is to kill. Surely, if some people had the power to read minds or thoughts, it would be perfectly possible to work out when it's not okay and when it is okay to use that power.
And we had better start thinking about it anyway--scientists are making good progress on lie detectors that work on brain waves and that are a lot more accurate than the ones we have now, that are not accurate at all. You can bet your life that once those are usable they will be used--and without consent of the ones it will be used on. They are also working on machines that can read people's dreams--thought readers are on the horizon.
Heh--those brain wave lie detectors would make a good solution to your objection (who's to believe them), L!
That would depend on the original interpretation though. The way the 'reader' interprets and then passes on the information.
They could be, to them, telling the truth about the way they saw it, whereas the subject would potentially refute their version of events for other reasons.
I just think it'd be too nuanced.
On that note, really going to bed. And happy to leave that little problem to a future generation to work out.
Not to mention that these are imaginary powers, after all! (Technological mind reading still has a way to go. :))
Sorry I'm late on the superpowers topic, skidding in here...
I'd love to fly, I've had a wide variety of dreams where I can, and I always wake up disappointed I can't. It's probably why I loved being on a motorbike so much, the same freedom and wind rushing past and exhilaration.
Quite frankly I wouldn't want anyone in my head, as much as for their own comfort as mine!
Hope everyone sleeps better tonight
Need some time travel powers there, Jaws?
Think my head is the only place I've got left that's truly mine. And no, I don't think it would be a healthy place to take a day trip.
I'm sorry, I thought the question was "What super power would you have, if you could?," not "What superpower would you have if you could, taking into account whether other people would like you to have it or not."
We have the power to kill, but not the right to. So I think having the power to read peoples' minds doesn't necessarily mean you have the right to do that either. And since we haven't figured out how to get people to stop killing each other, I guess I don't have a whole lot of faith in the idea that we could use telepathy/empathy in an ethical fashion (and now I'm imagining a world where telepathy is widespread, which of course would change the dynamic considerably).
I guess I'm closer to how Lestrade feels about it than you, RR. Professor X and Jean Gray always made me feel vaguely unsettled. (Not to mention the time when Professor X erased Magneto's memory of having been a Holocaust survivor to stop him from being a criminal mastermind...Magneto was PISSED when he got his memory back, even though he'd had a perfectly happy amnesiac existence.)
I'm sorry, I thought the question was "What super power would you have, if you could?," not "What superpower would you have if you could, taking into account whether other people would like you to have it or not."
Morning folks, I have my IOSH exam this afternoon, so a good memory would be very helpful - superpower or not!
I hope work is shorter/better/less annoying/more successful or whatever you want it to be today Greg :-)
Wishing you a more peaceful day with Sherlock John :-)
Cheers AnonyBob. It's okay so far, and court later...so anything could happen! But it should be quiet.
SH - Good luck!
RR - I thought we were all adults capable of then having a debate about whatever sparked our interest. If we all just give one line answers in future it wouldn't be very interesting.
I hope court goes as it should with as little excitement as possible :-)
Greg, I think time travel powers would be an awfully big temptation, erase all those tiny little embarrassing things you've done, see what's going to happen next week, etc.
Actually there's one or two nights I would like to go back to, just so I can know what happened!
I think the nice thing about getting to know people and trusting them is letting them see more of your self. It's like you're a big road map, and you unfold more and more over time, it would be a lot harder to take in if you had to try and take in and process the whole map at once.
RR- you're perfectly allowed to want to be able to read minds, we all want/like different things don't we? It's one of the nice things about humans, how much we differ.
Good luck SH!
L--And I thought the superpower thread of the conversation was a fairly superficial, more or less light-hearted one, seeing as that's how every single other power thrown out was treated. And before you say all the others mentioned are benign...not by a long shot. Invisibility, for starters--which I use as an example because while it was mentioned, no one actually chose it yet--has been used as THE metaphor for the lack of social restraint allowing--or causing--toxic and/or criminal behavior for over 2400 hundred years (see the Ring of Gyges--and the online disinhibition effect). I assure you I can supply equally negative analyses of most of the superpowers wished for here--but I didn't, because it seemed obvious that it wasn't that kind of conversation.
I've always thought the problem with superheroes was that they, sort of by definition, implied the existence of super villains. I'd still like telekinesis some days, though. I could wash the dishes with the power of my mind!
I hope Sherlock is less cranky today, and gets a chance to go do his kung fu. And that the rest of you have a better day too! The January blahs are no fun.
rsf
RR - anyone who wants to discuss any of the powers is welcome, though. Unless John would rather that not happen here. In wich case they can do it on my blog.
Lestrade can we come and see you and a snack before kung fu pleeeeeaseee?
I don't want to, L.
Hey, Sherlock, I have a couple of chemistry jokes for you:
"How often do I like chemistry jokes?
...
Periodically."
"I told one just the other day, but there was no reaction."
I hope your day today went better. (I hope everybody's day today has been going better.)
Yeah, going better so far, thanks.
Heh. I can't find it on my phone, but I saw a picture a few days ago of a table made to look like the periodic table. I'll look for it when we get home.
I saw a picture a few days ago of a table made to look like the periodic table.
Want!!! (For a coffee or side table, anyway. :))
I saw one a few weeks ago which was like a picnic bench where the table was the main table and the bench was the Lanthanoids and the Actinides, very cool!
That's the one, anon! Any idea where you saw it? I seem to have lost it.
Sherlock, sorry, I'm in court mate.
Is it this one?
That is indeed it.
Or, going in a completely different direction, there is this. ...
*looks at price* Yikes! Good thing I like the other one better. That one would make a great addition to my sister's yard. :)
It's okay Lestrade, John took a video of me punching a padded thing to show you and Mummy and now we're home and Mrs Hudson made fish biscuits for her book club and they are biscuits that look like fish not biscuits made out of fish and she let me have one.
REReader's first one was the one I saw, I think it's extremely cool! Oh and that was me posting from work where it's hard to sign things BTW.
Lancs. Anon
Great, Sherlock! I'll be home soon, just fetching some work from the yard.
I think it's cool, too, Lancs!
It sounds like you had a very good afternoon, Sherlock--and fish biscuits sound like fun! (I wonder what book Mrs. H's book club was reading. :))
She said they're reading A Passage to India but she didn't say what it was about and John hasn't read it and neither has Lestrade. We're having cheesy pasta for dinner.
...and some of 'us' had garlic bread, but by the time I served and put the pans in to soak there was only two garlicky boys and a scrag end of bread left...
I haven't read it either, Sherlock, although I know there was a movie made of it. I was thinking maybe there was some sort of sea voyage or something like that in the plot--hence the fish--but from what I can find on the internet there isn't. So, fish biscuits just for the fun of it, which is really the best reason. :)
Mmmmmm, cheesy pasta! Maybe I'll change what I was going to make for me and my parents...
Also mmmmmmmm, garlic bread! (Which really would go better with the salmon I have defrosting. But still, cheese and pasta...)
A testament to your skills as a baker! Rule in our house is: If you want someone to kiss you after you've eaten garlic bread, you have to leave some garlic bread for them so you are both equally garlicky.
There was a bit left...
you forgot the golden rule of being the cook Greg, always carry the good stuff to the table with you ;-)
It sounds delicious by the way.
Kestrel - we sort of have a similar rule. Sadly Sherlock would rather eat garlic bread than kiss me...so doesn't work so well with him.
I think the worst thing about being gluten sensitive is not being able to eat garlic bread. It's one of those foods that just begs to be eaten.
the advantage of having a putting people to sleep superpower would be you could put annoying people to sleep John. I wish I had that some days would it be wrong to do it though?
I know what you mean, but it'd be wrong unless they asked you to do it, yeah. I really only want the power to myself to sleep though. I can think of a lot of ways someone with the power to put other people to sleep could misuse it, even if they thought they were helping.
Pip - I'm sorry. No gluten free garlic bread, huh?
Yeah, with three growing kids we pretty much have to announce the serving size and limit at the precise moment the rolls, garlic bread, or (American style) biscuits hit the table.
How about weather working as a super power? Leaving aside all the troublesome butterfly effect discussions, it'd be nice to be able to have the freezing rain hold off until after rush hour. :-(
what about if you could use it on Sherlock John? under rules of only at bedtime of course ;-)
No, don't think so. Not even if he wanted me to, though obviously it would be temping. Everyone's got to learn how to calm themselves down enough to fall asleep, somehow.
he'd never forgive you, for a start...
He's much better now at just reading or something, if he can't sleep, so there's not much need anyway.
good point well made guys :-)
L - yeah, exactly. People don't usually think of it as something you have to learn, but it really is.
And it's a good indication of whether something's up with him, too. If he really is wanting attention it's probably something a lot more than he just isn't tired. So we need to find ways of giving him space and time to tell us what it is.
How about a superpower that drew the snore out of someone. I can't see how that could have any negative effects.
And thank you for your good wishes re my IOSH exam. I passed, just have to do the project now.
SH - that would be amazing. And congratulations and good luck with the project.
small point but you know I was joking right? I wouldn't want anyone thinking I use any weird methods to put my kids to sleep.
We know, it's all right. I'm probably taking the whole thing too seriously anyway. :)
None that I've found. I've found some gluten free bread mixes, but they always taste a bit rancid to me. Sometimes, I just say to heck with it and eat it anyway, lol. Some things are worth a little bit of pain.
AnonyBob - yeah :) But like earlier, it's interesting to think about these things. Imagining being able to click your fingers and have him sleep - sounds good, but then if you think further, actually it makes you sort of grateful that him not sleeping can sometimes tell us quite a lot about how he's feeling. Makes you look at it in another light. Good to remember when you find it annoying sometimes...
I've always had a strict bedtime routine and the kids always sleep so I know if they don't that there's an issue so yes I really wouldn't want to use the power on anyone but me :-)
anonyBob - I'd have to have a special break-clause in my sleeping power, for emergency calls! 'nothing shalt wake you, except emergency phone calls and small boys elbowing you in the face/kneeing you in the groin/staring at you in your sleep willing you to wake' :)
you see this is why none of us can have the power, there are so many reasons we have to be able to wake up.
There are down sides to every super power aren't there :-( except possibly SH's removing the snore one, you wouldn't believe how loud a 2 year old can snore!!
I didn't know that my question would make such a huge discussion! I've always been worried about mind readers. My life has been picked apart by people trying to prove that i was lying about being bullied, so the only thing I have left that's mine is what's inside my head, because no one can take that.
oh, ((((Silent))), my heart goes out to you! I have never understood why anyone would disbelieve someone about being bullied. It's just the very last thing you need!
Removing snores would be handy... although, earplugs are pretty good for that. I managed to share a camping barn in Kent for a week in '09 with my morris lads, and they worked great. I can imagine a device like Dumbledore's streetlight un-lighter though, for collecting noisy snores... :)
S
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