Pump am y Penwythnos / Friday Five 13/07/2018

[CatrinLliarJones]

Bore da! Greetings from the footholls of Snowdonia on this very welcome wet morning!

Sut mae pawb heddiw? / How is everyone today?

1. It’s Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious in any way at all? Do you have any silly superstitious rituals or habits?

2. What’s the scariest (made up not reality) thing you’ve ever watched on a screen?

3. A large, unruly, ochre and rather unsavoury monster is about to invade your land, do you -

• Go in to hiding?
• Create a petitions and plackards and take to the streets in protest?
• Create and burn an effigy of it?
• Build a wall around your borders?
• Make a voodoo doll of it?
• All of the above?
• Something else?

4. What personal steps do you take in life to defy and combat the bad, hateful, negative and destructive elements of the world around us?

5. I’m having a Friday the 13th themed party. You have to come and you have to come in character - who do you come as and what do you bring to the festivities?

6. Make up your own Friday Five question and answer it!

[HuwJones]

1) It’s Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious in any way at all? Do you have any silly superstitious rituals or habits?
Nope, I’m a physicist. On the other hand, let me tell you the story of Niels Bohr visiting Ernest Rutherford in his laboratory. On arriving, Bohr saw a horse shoe on the wall by the entrance. He says, “Look here, Ernest, you don’t believe in such things, do you?” Rutherford replies, “Of course not, Niels, but I understand it works even if you don’t believe in it”
2) What’s the scariest (made up not reality) thing you’ve ever watched on a screen?
Linda Blair’s 180 degree head swivel in the Exorcist is hard to beat.
3) A large, unruly, ochre and rather unsavoury monster is about to invade your land, do you -
I presume this is a barely disguised reference to a current visitor to the UK, in which case, I’d just tell him to (censored by moderator)
4) What personal steps do you take in life to defy and combat the bad, hateful, negative and destructive elements of the world around us?
A very searching question. To be honest, I’ve given up and I feel VERY guilty about that.
5) I’m having a Friday the 13th themed party. You have to come and you have to come in character - who do you come as and what do you bring to the festivities?
I’d come as Mr Sceptic. I’d drape a ladder costume over me, surmounted by an open umbrella. I’d wear an opel brooch and persuade (some hope) my daughter-in-law’s cat to walk in front of me. I’d bring 13 sausage rolls
6) Make up your own Friday Five question and answer it!
Q: What would you do if you met a superstitious person?
A: I’d cross my fingers and hope they’d go away

[mikeellwood]

Sut mae pawb heddiw? / How is everyone today?

Da iawn, diolch, a chdi hefyd, gobeithio.

1) It’s Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious in any way at all? Do you have any silly superstitious rituals or habits?

I have almost completely eliminated superstition from my psyche, and with a bit of luck, it will have been completely eradicated in a few year’s time.

Seriously, although in my conscious, rational mind, I am not superstitious, I still get a few small shivers when I see a Friday 13th come along. I have one or two other foibles, which I won’t bore you with / embarass myself by mentioning…

2) What’s the scariest (made up not reality) thing you’ve ever watched on a screen?

At the time, it was probably “Alien”. More recently, I saw a sort of sci-fi dystopian film in which Earth had been dominated by very scary aliens who detected humans and immediately killed them by having superpower hearing, so the few survivors had to go about completely silently. Very, very scary. It even has “Alien” beat.

3) A large, unruly, ochre and rather unsavoury monster is about to invade your land, do you -

Go in to hiding?
Create a petitions and plackards and take to the streets in protest?
Create and burn an effigy of it?
Build a wall around your borders?
Make a voodoo doll of it?
All of the above?
Something else?

I see what you did here. Definitely something else…

4) What personal steps do you take in life to defy and combat the bad, hateful, negative and destructive elements of the world around us?

Attempt to change the things that I think can, just might, be changed for the better, and over which I might have some influence, however tiny.

5) I’m having a Friday the 13th themed party. You have to come and you have to come in character - who do you come as and what do you bring to the festivities?

Can I not just come for the booze…? Oh, well, if you insist…Wasn’t there a handsome one in The Adams Family? I know it’s a stretch, but I’d come as him.

6) Make up your own Friday Five question and answer it!

What’s the nicest thing you’ve done so far today?

Cuddling my grandson, and especially making him laugh with “round and round the garden”. A few months ago, that didn’t do anything for him. Now he’s a mass of giggles with it. It’s so lovely to watch them develop.

[robbruce]

Sut mae pawb heddiw? / How is everyone today?

I make it seven questions in total this week if you include that as one. You’re going to have to rename this weekly thread!

[aran]

1) It’s Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious in any way at all? Do you have any silly superstitious rituals or habits?

Genuinely didn’t know that was the date today. Not a superstitious person. I do count to 10 and back down every time I see a magpie, though, but that’s more about remembering my Nain doing it, and thinking of her every time I do…

2) What’s the scariest (made up not reality) thing you’ve ever watched on a screen?

I remember being terrified at some Godzilla-ish kind of monster movie at my grandmother’s house when I was about 7 or 8, which stopped frightening me the moment my younger brother walked in and was more frightened than I was… Next stop Jaws, next stop Blair Witch, and now I don’t watch anything which I think might have the SLIGHTEST chance of frightening me.

3) A large, unruly, ochre and rather unsavoury monster is about to invade your land, do you -

If it’s a real monster, I suppose I’m going to have to find a sword somewhere. If it’s a political monster, I’ll carry on working on projects intended to build a stronger and happier society, and ride out the short term turbulence.

4) What personal steps do you take in life to defy and combat the bad, hateful, negative and destructive elements of the world around us?

I try to be meditative, I try to be kind, and I try to teach people to speak Welsh…

5) I’m having a Friday the 13th themed party. You have to come and you have to come in character - who do you come as and what do you bring to the festivities?

I’ve never watched it, because it sounded frightening. So I’ll come in my ‘I am Groot!’ T-shirt and claim to have become confused.

6) Why are you so tired in the afternoons these days?

I dunno. Maybe just old age. Grrrrr.

[Darthcider]

1. I always salute Mr Magpie, for luck.

2. An old black and white ghost film called The Innocents, not sure how I watched it as a child, but it proper scared me.

3. Stand up and be counted.

4. Don’t listen to gossip and be confident.

5. I come as Eraserhead. I bring good music, especially punk and reggae.

6. Shall I get some doughnuts? Of course!

[cat-1]

An old black and white ghost film called The Innocents,

Me too! We watched it late one Christmas Eve - blooming terrifying! It sort of set up a midwinter tradition of watching spooky MR James type things.

[JohnYoung]

Sut mae pawb heddiw? / How is everyone today?
Shwmae Catrin a Pawb. Dwi’n gwych,diolch.
Hi Catrin & all. I’m great, thanks.

1) It’s Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious in any way at all? Do you have any silly superstitious rituals or habits?
I’m not superstitious, but as I’m from a place that was, I automatically remember stuff, just so as not to abide by the rules

2) What’s the scariest (made up not reality) thing you’ve ever watched on a screen?
Possibly the original Dr Whos or black & white horrors, even though they would probably be a bit cardboard now.

**3) A large, unruly, ochre and rather unsavoury monster is about to invade your land, do you - **
Go in to hiding?
Create a petitions and plackards and take to the streets in protest?
Create and burn an effigy of it?
Build a wall around your borders?
Make a voodoo doll of it?
All of the above?
Something else?

(Something else) Prob try to ignore him (sorry, it).
Already got a famous wall at the end of the street where I was brought up, so hopefully it might stop him coming back from his golf visit
I’ve actually got a friend who was on the Swansea protest, so fair play to her.

4) What personal steps do you take in life to defy and combat the bad, hateful, negative and destructive elements of the world around us?
Rise above the negative and concentrate on the positive, a-la SSI model

5) I’m having a Friday the 13th themed party. You have to come and you have to come in character - who do you come as and what do you bring to the festivities?
Some ladders on my back and a bucket to kick over.

6) Make up your own Friday Five question and answer it!
What weird thing happens in your house?
Wire-free door bell never works when someone visits, but rings every time we switch on a light, kettle, etc.

[cat-1]

1. It’s Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious in any way at all? Do you have any silly superstitious rituals or habits?

Sometimes yes - Lone magpies get a wave, there is a red purse with Chinese coins hanging over the front door, and no one in our family gets called George anymore, just in case. On May 1st I wear something green, and I go out of my way to make wishes in fairy rings. Oh, and I don’t let knives and forks cross each other. Apart from that I’m really quite rational.

2. What’s the scariest (made up not reality) thing you’ve ever watched on a screen?

What @Darthcider said.

3. A large, unruly, ochre and rather unsavoury monster is about to invade your land, do you

Panic and run for it (whilst thinking of clever witticisms that I would have said had I not been hot-tailing it in the opposite direction).

4. What personal steps do you take in life to defy and combat the bad, hateful, negative and destructive elements of the world around us?

Save bumble bees from paddling pools and spiders from baths. If it’s smaller, weaker, and more vulnerable than you, and you can help it, do so, and do it as well as you can (whilst attempting not to develop some sort of superiority/enabling complex).
It’s a habit - the more you do it, the more you do it.

5. I’m having a Friday the 13th themed party. You have to come and you have to come in character - who do you come as and what do you bring to the festivities?

I’d bring 13 sausage rolls

No idea what I’d come as but I’m standing next to the sausage roll guy.

6. What amazing things have happened this week?

Dotty the bonkers seven year old of mine had her adenoids out and grommets in. The difference is immediate and heartbreakingly marvellous! She can hear and smell and seems to find everything so much easier!

[AnthonyCusack]

1) It’s Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious in any way at all? Do you have any silly superstitious rituals or habits?

No I’m not. As a friend of mine pointed out - it’s bed luck to be superstitious.

There is a superstition that, as yet, the only people I know who are aware of it come from Plymouth/West Devon/Cornwall: you must stand on three drains in a row. They aren’t really drains, they’re the council covers for water taps or something similar and often come in threes.

2) What’s the scariest (made up not reality) thing you’ve ever watched on a screen?

When I was younger I was terrified of the sixth sense.

**3) A large, unruly, ochre and rather unsavoury monster is about to invade your land, do you - **

Go in to hiding?
Create a petitions and plackards and take to the streets in protest?
Create and burn an effigy of it?
Build a wall around your borders?
Make a voodoo doll of it?
All of the above?
Something else?

Well so far all I’ve done with the recent visit is watch from a distance and like anti-orange-ogre things on social media…

4) What personal steps do you take in life to defy and combat the bad, hateful, negative and destructive elements of the world around us?

I read and try and disseminate. Try and see the positive. Not confound the problem - unhappiness is natural so I try my hardest not to make people feel worse about being unhappy. This sounds strange but so many try the “don’t worry be happy” approach which almost invalidates others unhappiness. Accept all emotions as natural. Try to empathise with peoples reactions.

5) I’m having a Friday the 13th themed party. You have to come and you have to come in character - who do you come as and what do you bring to the festivities?

A knights templar because they met their demise on Friday 13th 1307
Or I’d come as Brian O’Driscoll

I’d bring guacamole and steak for the bbq

6) Make up your own Friday Five question and answer it!

What is your favourite Welsh word today?
Ofergeol (superstition)

[Betterlatethan]

I try my hardest not to make people feel worse about being unhappy. This sounds strange but so many try the “don’t worry be happy” approach which almost invalidates others unhappiness.

Yes, yes, yes! I once did an online course on happiness and it was soooo depressing.
Sue

[mikeellwood]

Re: the Daleks:

I watched Dr Who from the beginning, as a relatively young teenager. I was moderately afraid of the Daleks as normally seen (though I never hid behind the settee), but what really scared me was when it was revealed (at this stage of their life, anyway) that inside the metallic external shape that we all know and (now) love, was a soft, slithery, possibly lizard like living creature, really slimy and horrible looking. According to the story at that time, they were the terrible effects of a nuclear war, and were mutations or something. The story has no doubt evolved and changed over time, but that was the story at that particular time. (I haven’t watched Dr Who for years; it’s become too much of an institution, like The Archers - The BBC always goes and does that to things…).

But it’s possibly that memory that I was reminded of when I first watched (and was terrified by) Alien. I still don’t think I have got over seeing John Hurt’s body literally explode because he was gestating a baby alien inside him, and it decided to pop out just as his colleagues were congratulating him on the “successful” treatment or whatever it was that he’d just undergone.

Edit: I just googled to see if I was remembering Alien right. Seems like it scared the whatsit out of the cast as well!

The true story behind John Hurt's legendary Alien 'chestburster' scene

[AnnaC]

I would rank Alien up there as the most terrifying movie I’ve seen, too.

Re Dr. Who - I never watched the original series - I don’t think it wasn’t a thing over here like it was in Britain, and I was a newborn when it first started However, I really enjoyed the first four seasons of the new remake, and I highly recommend them. (The Daleks are definitely soft and slithery on the inside ) After David Tennant and Russell T Davies left the reboot at the end of the fourth season, I don’t think it was as good. I continued watching for a while, but then it just didn’t hold my interest anymore. I have since watched some of the originals, but it’s now the same now as it would have been when they were new

[cat-1]

though I never hid behind the settee

I did. I also had to run the gauntlet at bedtime, as I was sure there was a Dalek Hiding place on the landing before you got to our bedrooms. It took a while and a few sarky comments from my brother before I realised the Daleks were not fans of stairs. We slept at the top of a tall Georgian town house with eight flights of stairs. Possibly haunted but a complete headache for Daleks!
Now I gather they fly and appear through portals, so I’d have no chance…

[mikeellwood]

I still prefer the original music. At the time it came out, Dr Who seemed very original, and the music was a big part of it. Having said that, back in the 1950s, they had Quatermass and the Pit on TV which I think would be pretty scary, although the effects might not have been so good. We didn’t have a TV back then. Subsequently, I’ve seen at least one Quatermass movie, made much later (1970s I think) that was very good, and fairly scary. Not in the class of Alien though.

[mikeellwood]

I’ve just remembered that once upon a time, Derren Brown did a haunted house programme.
(Maybe he’s done more than one). It was very convincing, but I knew it had to be a con because, well, everything he does is basically a con, although very clever cons.

But (slightly to my surprise), my children, who were well into their teens by then, were really quite scared and spooked out by it, as were many other people, I gather.

[CatrinLliarJones]

1) It’s Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious in any way at all? Do you have any silly superstitious rituals or habits?

Not really seriously superstitious, though I do silly things like uncross knives out of habit.

2) What’s the scariest (made up not reality) thing you’ve ever watched on a screen?

I used to watch horror movies alone and didn’t really become scared by them. I find many of them quite silly. But I do find ‘horror’ movies based on personality disorders, mental health issues and psychological disabilities much more spine chilling. I find them very clever in the way they create tension and fright without relying too much on the supernatural/monsters and blood and gore. I found The Shining very chilling as well as Psycho. I also greatly admire but at the same time am disturbed by Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Rosemary’s baby.

I Love classics such as The Poltergeist, The Alien movies, The Fog, Jaws - great viewing.

3) A large, unruly, ochre and rather unsavoury monster is about to invade your land, do you _

Go in to hiding?
Create a petitions and plackards and take to the streets in protest?
Create and burn an effigy of it?
Build a wall around your borders?
Make a voodoo doll of it?
All of the above?
Something else?

Take something for the nausea and try not to watch the news.

4) What personal steps do you take in life to defy and combat the bad, hateful, negative and destructive elements of the world around us?

A little bit of Buddhism goes a long way… oh and wine… wine helps too…

5) I’m having a Friday the 13th themed party. You have to come and you have to come in character - who do you come as and what do you bring to the festivities?

I’d go to town on the scary make up and wear something dark and foreboding. I’d bring a nice brandy and a home cooked ham.

[cat-1]

home cooked ham

I shall be moving in your direction when I’ve finished loitering near sausage roll guy…