After the last post I was required to explain to Sherlock what My Little Ponies are. I tried my best - magical talking horses, some with wings, etc. - but he had a number of incisive questions I wasn't equipped to answer. ("Why do they speak English? How can those tiny wings make them fly? How can they write books? Why is this so stupid?") So we looked on the internet.
One of the things google turned up was a youtube link to the new cartoon they've put out: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, possibly the most sickeningly saccharine title in the history of the world. I clicked on it, thinking we'd watch about 30 seconds and he'd know all he ever cared to, but no. He sat there and watched the entire first episode. Sherlock's not usually one for telly, unless it's well past his bedtime and he's dead tired. He just can't sit still for it. But he watched this like he was doing anthropological research. Maybe he was? Maybe he means to quiz the girls at school about it? I'm almost afraid to ask.
On a more scientific note, we went along to the Royal Observatory last night. Lestrade kindly waited outside with Sherlock and the dogs while I took Mycroft in. It was...amazing. Despite the clouds and the crowds. I can't really think of anything intelligent to say about it beyond "amazing," apart from other equally useless phrases like, "That is one bloody enormous telescope they've got there." And of course we stood on the Prime Meridian. I may have also got Prime Meridian socks from the gift shop. I haven't decided whether to keep them or give them away.
Mycroft was wildly excited (for Mycroft) and asked several very nice people questions I didn't fully understand and won't try to reproduce here. Given the length and level of detail in their answers, I think they were quite happy to be asked. We'll have to go again; it was a good time. Maybe next time Sherlock can come in as well...although it says on their website it's not suitable for under-sevens and I think Mycroft would kill him if he stood up and told them all they'd got their maths wrong or something... Uh. Maybe next year.
One of the things google turned up was a youtube link to the new cartoon they've put out: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, possibly the most sickeningly saccharine title in the history of the world. I clicked on it, thinking we'd watch about 30 seconds and he'd know all he ever cared to, but no. He sat there and watched the entire first episode. Sherlock's not usually one for telly, unless it's well past his bedtime and he's dead tired. He just can't sit still for it. But he watched this like he was doing anthropological research. Maybe he was? Maybe he means to quiz the girls at school about it? I'm almost afraid to ask.
On a more scientific note, we went along to the Royal Observatory last night. Lestrade kindly waited outside with Sherlock and the dogs while I took Mycroft in. It was...amazing. Despite the clouds and the crowds. I can't really think of anything intelligent to say about it beyond "amazing," apart from other equally useless phrases like, "That is one bloody enormous telescope they've got there." And of course we stood on the Prime Meridian. I may have also got Prime Meridian socks from the gift shop. I haven't decided whether to keep them or give them away.
Mycroft was wildly excited (for Mycroft) and asked several very nice people questions I didn't fully understand and won't try to reproduce here. Given the length and level of detail in their answers, I think they were quite happy to be asked. We'll have to go again; it was a good time. Maybe next time Sherlock can come in as well...although it says on their website it's not suitable for under-sevens and I think Mycroft would kill him if he stood up and told them all they'd got their maths wrong or something... Uh. Maybe next year.
22 comments:
It wasn't kindness. I was motivated by the urge not to feel more stupid than I already do by not understanding any of the words coming out of Mycroft's mouth.
And I've been before, a long time ago, admittedly.
We'll have to get out into the darkness of the countryside sometime and set up Mycroft's 'scope.
I'm glad you had a good time and that Sherlock was there to keep Lestrade and the dogs company. Lestrade might have found keeping the hounds under control without company boring. XD
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Mycroft exhibits the famous British reserve. I hope the going out into the darkness of the countryside and setting up Mycroft's 'scope' (see Lestrade's comment) isn't a euphemism for something else.
This new My Little Pony is like heroin for the under-10s (and maybe people who are old enough to know better ahem). I swear it should be illegal.
Did Sherlock give himself a pony name? Inquiring minds want to know.
I used to LOVE My Little Ponies when I was a kid and horse-crazy, like all the girls in my class.
I was the one who had a stable full of real horses at home, though, and well, nice sparkly pink and purple ponies that you don't have to clean up after and who don't occasionally throw you off and try to stomp on your head don't sound so bad, lol.
(i had a deep fried oreo today and it was delicous. it made me think of you and orio ♥)
All little girls love horses. It's like some kind of natural law. I was subject to it myself, and I still don't pretend to understand it. (I picked up the Black Stallion books a couple years ago, thinking it would be a nice way to revisit fond childhood memories. "Dear God," I said upon opening the first one. "This is effing boring.")
I did always make saddles and bridles out of modeling clay for my ponies and play that they were enslaved by the cruel Dinoriders action figures. Don't even ask me, I was a fairly demented child. (Dinoriders though. Did you have those in the UK? They were actually humans that cruelly enslaved DINOSAURS, which they mounted with laser cannons. There is nothing about that which is not awesome.)
Jessica- A horse tried to kill me once! She was evil and she tried to scrape me off her back by bashing my head in against the roof of the stable. Fortunately I slid off the back and just got a bruised tailbone instead.
My father was once kicked in the stomach by an ornery horse. It obliterated his spleen. Thus, never been all that fond of horses, me.
I did however, have multitudinous G.I. Joes. They lived in my hot pink She-Ra dream castle and drove one of those Rainbow Bright cars. And frequently invaded and conquered my brother's Transformers base.
Also, Mycroft, if you're interested in some extended study options, let me know. I have friends in local space topography, research cosmology and one at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory that have a plethora of interesting websites, talks and books. I love teaching. I get first crack at so many amazing things.
Tinkerty-tonk!
Bronwyn
I think I wasn't the right age for My Little Pony, and I think I might be ok with that. My mother did try desperately to get me interested in Barbie. One year all I wanted for Christmas was the Millennium Falcon. She got me the Barbie van. I tossed the Barbie, put my Han and Luke action figures in the big bucket seats, and continued on. You can imagine how familiar Spaceballs looked to me when it came out.
L - how do you feel about camping?
lawless - yeah, we could've left the dogs at home I suppose, but they're so enthusiastic about going anywhere at all that it seems cruel.
Lulu - He didn't give himself a pony name (Hyper Hooves?), and I'm honestly not sure he even enjoyed it? But he certainly paid attention. Heroin seems like a good metaphor, yeah.
Jessica - You've got me trying to picture My Little Pony bathrooms now. I mean, they've got to go somewhere…
justblue - That does sound good, although I prefer my Orio non-deep-fried.
Linday - Anything with laser cannons is automatically better.
kholly and Bronwyn - ha! I like your mix and match approach.
it was also covered in powdered sugar...
@justblue0162, where are you? I have GOT to get me one of those.
Sherlock being interested in My Little Pony sounds... scary.
Oooo, stars... I've never had the opportunity to go to an observatory. I probably should, rather than stare up at the sky without my glasses and attempt to see ANYTHING...
The deep fried oreo sounds...alarming, but intriguing.
Camping is a definite yes, Danger. I love getting out of the city.
As long as we can take laser cannon.
Definitely laser cannons. I never go camping without them. Excellent. I think it'll be a good experience for the boys. Either that or traumatic due to lack of internet.
I shall get Sherlock to forget the lack of internet by bringing out the very scariest campfire stories I know. And Mycroft can undoubtedly make himself a basic computer out of leaves and twigs, so I may as well save him the bother and give him my phone if he goes cold turkey on us.
Did you and the boys do anything for Pi Day? Or is that a holiday observed only in America?
I did hear about it on the radio. Somewhere between feeling like the pit of my stomach had dropped out listening to the news from Japan and almost dying of laughter as Danger and I dueted to 'Rawhide'.
But no, Pi Day doesn't really work here, as we put the date in a sensible order (14/03/11). But knowing Sherlock and Mycroft, there's probably been some hideous mathamatical challenge to 'celebrate' or something. My idea of hell.
I'm not mathematically inclined either - the way most people I know celebrate the day is by eating pie.
Ah, I could get behind that idea. And if they're getting pie, I hope Danger will save me some.
A pie for pi day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pi_pie2.jpg
I never cared about horses one way or the other. Now, Rainbow Brite, on the other hand...
I heard on the radio yesterday that a guy in Oregon had created a musical rendering of pi, and had put it up on YouTube. Might be of interest to Sherlock, at least.
--LV
I can't believe you passed on "My god, it's full of stars" as a title for this post. ;)
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