Kristy just graduated, making her the most qualified member of our family: she’s now a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics, and now has lots of letters after her name should she choose to use them (cf. the title of this post).

She now ranks as the 3rd-most educated Freney ever (to my knowledge), after my mum Denise (MA DipEd BA) and grandfather John (DSc PhD MSc BSc). I’m not convinced any of us are going to top the DSc – that’s a Doctor of Science, an award that recognises a body of significant scientific contribution. It’s a big deal. All I’ve got is BE.

(My grandfather has written a bunch of obscure books on his speciality, agronomy (soil science; specifically, nitrogen and fertiliser use in soils related to rice paddys, etc). Because they’re so narrowly-focused, they print about 6 copies and sell them for $279 or $299. Wow.)

Nice work, Kristy. (Master Freney?)

11:30 pm, Sunday night: Guy across the road is playing saxophone very loudly. Playing is actually a generous term. If I hadn’t heard him play before (at similar times of the day night) I would be firmly convinced he’s never played before. Or even seen a sax.

10 minutes ago: I walk over to ask him to call it quits. He’s drunk, and ‘playing’ along to jazz coming out very loud from his stereo. Glad I live across the street, not next door.

Now there’s banging on his door from his neighbours. Shouting, swearing, threats. Lots of it.

Cops a-coming.

Get the Glass is a really neat little online board game. It won a prestigious Black Pencil design award from D&AD in the category of ‘Animation and Motion Graphics’, which is apparently some serious kudos.

D&AD don’t award the black pencil award, their top category, unless they’ve got something that is worth giving it to. If not… no award that year.

This game, though, is great. It’s basically a big advertisement aimed at getting people to drink milk because of its benefits (which you will learn of as you play). It’s fun, and looks great.

I scored about 4700. See if you can beat it.

[UPDATE: Played again: First I got caught, then scored 5300.]

Keep talking. It’s a great thing. However:

• God gives ‘gifts’, not ‘giftings’,
• Thank God for ‘giving gifts to …’, not ‘gifting …’
• Whilst you can talk of someone being gifted something, e.g. ‘Joe has been gifted with a remarkable ability with people’, try to avoid it. People in our culture rarely speak like this.

That is all.