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They get more and more interesting over time.

Just now I was offered a hotel near Paddington Station and the services of a Lacanian analyst. Sounds like a fateful weekend on offer.

speaking of the Irish

Before this morning’s session, one of the participants (who has been grading student papers of her own during the week) was reading highlights from one of those “craziest sentences from undergraduate term papers” websites.

The one that made me laugh the hardest was this:

“The potato literally encouraged the Irish to overbreed.”

Sounds like a nightmare gaffe by a Tory MP.

Oxford wrap-up

I’m basically headed back to the train in a minute, though I’ll stop for lunch first.

This morning was an interesting wrap-up session with all of the invitees who were still in town. Overall this was a rather exhilarating week, and certainly the most innovative format of any conference I’ve ever attended. Lots of discussion, and everyone gave about three presentations apiece during the week. (And then I had the side lecture at the Business School on Wednesday as well.)

Two very nice grad students took me on tours of Hertford and Jesus Colleges, so now I’ve seen 3 of the 30-some here. I’ll probably be here again in August briefly too, since my schedule en route to York allows it.

London tonight, Cairo tomorrow, back at work on Sunday, and must also fetch Babycat from the babysitter before she is permanently kidnapped.

more on Stockton and Malone

This comes from serious NBA fan Diarmuid the only Irishman I know who actually read Slam magazine:

“I think your characterisation of Karl Malone’s spot on: the pick and roll has had few better practitioners than Stockton and Malone and, given that Malone really carried the entire scoring weight for the Jazz (with infrequent appearances by Bryon Russell), the Jazz would never have got anywhere near the finals without him!”

There was also some scoring from Hornacek, and occasionally Howard Eisley and Shandon Anderson, but it’s safe to say that Utah was not an especially powerful scoring team outside the Big Two.

Interestingly, both Stockton and Malone were drafted fairly low in the first round. If memory serves, it was 1984 (Stockton) and 1985 (Malone). I may be off by a year in either case but I’m pretty sure it was those two years. Both of them flourished beyond all expectations, and they stayed together in Utah for many years. Stockton retired with the Jazz, Malone made a failed effort at an elusive championship with the Lakers. But I still contend that Malone and Stockton would have had back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998 if not for Jordan’s return.

Below: Karl Malone (left) and John Stockton (right)

a fun story I heard about Steve Woolgar

That while at Brunel University, he once gave a lecture in which he said only the following: “Science? There is no such thing!” And then ended the lecture immediately and went into a very charged Q & A session.

It’s an interesting tactic, and might be worth mimicking someday under the right circumstances.

[ADDENDUM: I should have added that Woolgar was a very welcoming host at his STS group on Wednesday. Nice group to chat with.]

in the mood to read

Aquinas. Just because it’s been so long, and there’s something kind of nice about his brevity in dealing with possible objections.

short session

Short final session this morning. Then we’re finished.

I’m going to try to spend a few hours in the PittRivers Museum today before leaving. Yes, we were already based there on Monday/Tuesday, but we were mostly in the examination room focused on 8 specific objects; I haven’t had the chance to browse the collection randomly yet.

I may also talk with Jane Bennett again, though Levi and I will be doing an event with her in New York in September anyway. Jane’s great, as expected: one of those rare people who can speak her mind on any issue without ever coming off as abrasive.

one of the really good things about the UK

Porridge.

The hotel breakfasts have been fine, but I keep them light, and almost every morning also walk into town for some porridge.

Miles Davis, Mood

This may be more for night time, but here’s the Miles Davis quintet playing “MOOD” in 1965, from the album ESP.

In some ways, though, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax is the highlight of this song (solo from the 3:32 mark). Herbie Hancock is in the background too. If memory serves, it’s Ron Carter on bass [ADDENDUM: Like a fool I originally wrote Elvin Jones,” another drummer– morning brain cramp] and Tony Williams on drums at this point in quintet history. Despite being such a notoriously difficult character, Miles was one of the great band leaders in the history of modern jazz.

If you like this album, “Miles Smiles” is another album with the same basic sound with the same quintet from almost exactly the same time. Oh yes, the same quintet also plays on the massive “Live at the Plugged Nickel” collection from Chicago, again from around the same time. The Plugged Nickel hasn’t existed for a long time, though.

Chicago-Miami all set

I wake up to learn that the Bulls finally PUT DOWN ATLANTA last night, so we’re ready for the evil Miami Heat in the East Finals. (Nah, I think LeBron is a super-nice guy, but he’s earned his Dark Lord reputation for a season or two with that slap in the face to Cleveland on national TV last summer.)

Technically the Bulls are the favorites here, but I think you have to assume that Miami with its three evil superstars has the upper hand. It’s a big challenge for the young Bulls, who haven’t been this good since the Jordan era ended in 1998.

The West Finals are not yet set, since the bizarre Memphis-Oklahoma City series is still going, with the winner to face surging Dallas.

[ADDENDUM: God, the fragility of life. A 38-year-old TV reporter covering the Bulls was found dead in his Atlanta hotel room. Sounds like natural causes. Terrible.]