Monday 30 June 2008

I would've called it a wasted weekend, had I not felt such a sense of achievement...


I am a psychotherapist, for those of you who don't keep up. Stray is an engineer*.
 
(That bit is relevant, honest.)
 
This weekend, Stray nicked took up my place at a workshop on neuroscience: a Jungian perspective on the mind-brain relationship and it's implications for clinical practice. 

Not to be outdone, I embarked upon an engineering project of some considerable challenge. **

Stray learnt lots and lots of clever things and is developing some rather complex ideas about how our neurobiology informs the wider socio-political development, as part of  her  book on Climate Change. I am guessing that she made an enthusiastic and knowledgeable participant, despite being the only non-clinician in the workshop. 

I am not impressed. That ain't nothing, I tell you,  compared to the skill it required to get my techno-balls a-rolling-baby. 

*and software developer/film-maker/writer......
**Techno-Balls: Hi-tech perpetual-motion power-driven marble run. Age 8 upwards. 

10 comments:

XXYXX said...

Whooooooooooo Ms MMmmmmmm. You show those engineering types that us therapists can screwdriver with the best of 'em!

PS: Borderline things are afoot over in Hullaballovia and Boboland

But Why? said...

Atta, girl. I am in awe of anyone who can juxtapose the phrases "perpetual motion" and "power-driven" in the same sentence without feeling compelled to question all they hold to be true.

Anonymous said...

I had one of those for chrimbo - tho it looks like I had a smaller set. (Checks psyche for feelings of inadequacy/threatened masculinity.. nope..).
I had great fun exploring the limits of centrifugal force in keeping the marbles on a track.
Combined with the limits of stability of that central tower array.. Marvellous chaos. And I agree with the sense of achievement once you get it whirring and clattering away.
Though I must admit, I did have the issues but why? refers to when reading the blurb on the box.

Ms Melancholy said...

Guess what BoBo? Not even a screw driver required, although I did use a wrench to get the top of the gin bottle half way through :)

Hey But Why?, I am so glad you said that! I did think there was something of a contradiction there, but was too scared to say so in case I completely showed myself up to be the technological numpty that I am. (Or, alternatively, I simply embraced the contradiction in a therapy-stylee.)

Hi there Shadowraith, yes I too had lots of fun working out just how steep the angle could be before the marbles fell off (and then trying to work out if a Ruby, Frank or Wallaby could choke on a small marble as I was grappling round on the floor trying to find the buggers.) By the way, your name scares me a bit. Just thought you might want to know.

Badger said...

I just love that Wallaby Cat is sitting watching over your master piece licking her paws. I am some what surprised she has not pooed on it.

Badger xx

Anonymous said...

ms melancholy.. thankyou.
You have helped precipitate an action long overdue.

My username is now changed from shadowraith, to a hopefully less scary one.

Ms Melancholy said...

Hey drak no offence meant....honest! Drak sounds much less scary though ;)

Anonymous said...

Cool model ;)

The Periodic Englishman said...

Hey Melancholy, just dropping by to see how you're doing. I was sad to see your original blog die a (spluttering, stop-start) death. Do you miss it at all? You seemed to suggest that you were going to be starting up elsewhere (as well as here, obviously). I hope it goes swimmingly, anyway, if you do.

What in the name of sweet baby Jesus, though, is that thing you just made? I thought you were happy, Minky - what happened?

Wary regards....

TPE x

(No, I don't know, either. "Minky" just came out of nowhere - sorry.)

uphilldowndale said...

My boy says WOW, MINT, how does it work? (we enlarged the picture so he could take a look)