Blog — "Dullog"
Dear DMC,
My suggestion for dull man of the year is Harry Reid.
Boring. Speaks in monotone voice. Dull dresser.
Emil Bentgen
Cross Junction, Virginia
Read more: Nomination for our list of Dull Men of 2013 — Harry Reid, leader of U.S. Senate
Mike in his post office at Penn State
Mike epitomizes our motto "Celebrating the Ordinary." He's having a great time doing what is often thought of as a dull job — and customers enjoy it too. "I don't mind waiting in line, even though I need only one stamp," a customer says. There often are ten to twelve customers in line.
Mike is the sole employee at the campus post office at Penn State University. He's had the job since 1978.
Post office employees often are candidates for "Disgruntled Employees of the Month." But not Mike. "If you're gong to be someplace for eight hours, make it fun not only for yourself but for costumers as well," says Mike.
Peter Willis, retired postman in England, intends to photograph all of Britain's 115,000 postboxes. So far, he has photographed 2,500 of them. He started when he retired in 2007.
Today Peter was interviewed on BBC Radio 4, click here to listen.
Read more: Peter Willis — photographing letter boxes — makes it onto our list of Dull Men of 2012
Here is some seasonably dull news from Yorkshire. Unfortunately the card in question is not grey, but otherwise Mr Myers seems to have got the right idea.
Regards
Steve Reszetniak
Enfield, NorthLondon
According to research recently announced, pygmy goats develop "accents" as they grow up.
Dear DMC
Another suggestion for 2012's Dull Man of the Year nominees — the Swede who survived two months in his car:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2012/feb/20/car-peter-skyllberg-survived-two-months
Rod Stewart is not only in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (inducted in 1994), he's also been on on the cover of Model Railroader magazine.
I'm proud to be a railway modeler," he said in an interview for the magazine. "It means more to me to be on the cover of Model Railroader than to be on the cover of a music magazine."
His model train layout, 1,500 square feet, takes up most of the third floor of his Beverly Hills mansion. It has more than 100 buildings, some over five feet tall.
Read more: Rod Stewart, Model Railroader — one of our Dull Men of the Year
Peter Willis — Worcester, England — photographing all 115,000 postboxes throughout Britain
Ken Myers — Leeds, England — 34 years in a row has given same Valentine's Day card to wife
Rod Stewart — avid model railroader
Iggy — "I've got a lust for slippers"
Simon Beck — England — creates Snow Art while walking on snowshoes
Peter Skyllbeck — Sweden — survived two months in car buried in snow by avalanche
Dr. Alan McElligott — University of London — his research indicates goats have accents
Peter Willis, retired postman, has set out to photograph all of Britain's 115,000 postboxes. So far, he has photographed 2,500. He started when he retired in 2007.
Peter was interviewed this year on BBC Radio 4, click here to listen.
Peter and his wife Diane live in Worcester, county town of Worcestershire in the East Midlands of England.
He has a list of every postbox from Royal Mail. Once he's taken a picture of a box, he strikes it off the list."
Not only does he have the list, he has programmed his GPS to beep when he passes a postbox.
Peter is thrilled that he lives near a rare postbox, one bearing the insignia of King Edward VIII. Only 160 boxes were made during his short reign.
Diane accompanies Peter on many of his trips. She often needs to stand guard when he's out in the middle of a road to get a good shot of a postbox. She also needs to explain to onlookers that Peter is not mad."
Here is some seasonably dull news from Yorkshire. Unfortunately the card in question is not grey, but otherwise Mr Myers seems to have got the right idea.
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/husband_sends_same_valentine_s_day_card_for_34th_year_in_a_row_1_4243868
Regards
Steve Reszetniak
London
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That's right, Mr Myers evidently is one of us . . . steadfast to the nth degree . . . likely will be nominated for our list of Dull Men of the Year.
Grover
According to research recently announced, pygmy goats develop "accents" as they grow up.
This groundbreaking research by Dr Elodie Briefer and Dr Alan McElligott at Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Science at the University of London was published in Animal Behaviour.
Should Dr McElligott be nominated for Dull Man of the Year 2012? (Dr Briefer can't be a nominee — she's the wrong gender.)
Or should the goats be nominated?
Here's the URL for an article about this research on BBC Nature News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17061101
Dear DMC
Another suggestion for 2012's Dull Man of the Year nominees — the Swede who survived two months in his car:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2012/feb/20/car-peter-skyllberg-survived-two-months
Spring will come, sooner or later.
Yours sincerely
FrançoisGojat
Wimereux, France
February 20, 2012
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Dear François
We used to think of Sweden as a dull country. Except for Stieg Larsson thrillers, Sweden is generally regarded as a dull country. This news about spending two months in a car buried in snow reaffirms the dull image of Sweden.
Thanks for sending this to us.
DMC
I'm catching up on reading the Sunday Times from last Sunday. I read 'I've got a lust for . . . slippers'. It's an article about Iggy, who the article describes as the godfather of punk.
But might he now be one of us dull men?
Not only does he lust for slippers, according to the article:
• He likes to potter — walks around the garden, smells the flowers, listens to the waterfall, watches the clouds
• He's a big cloud fancier
• He's ploughing through de Tocqueville's Democracy in America
• Goes to bed at 10:00 p.m., sometimes even earlier
Here's the article: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/a_life_in_the_day/article985699.ece
Bryce Blandford
London
Peter Willis, retired postman in England, intends to photograph all of Britain's 115,000 postboxes. So far, he has photographed 2,500 of them. He started when he retired in 2007.
Today Peter was interviewed on BBC Radio 4, click here to listen.
11 May 2012
Dear DMC
Here is news of a new dull activity, together with a nomination for Dull Man of the Year.
The article ends: “Are you more boring than Peter Willis? Call our newsdesk on 0800 282 591.” I think we should keep an eye on the Mirror.
May 8, 2012
News articles about Hollande's victory Sunday reiterate what we've been commenting on over the past year — that he's one of us.
From the New York Times — headline "In French Race, the Tortoise Sets His Own Pace":
Franchois Hollande is emerging as the front-runner. He's pulling ahead of incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy. Running for president is a big turnaround for Hollande.
A year ago he was a nominee for our Dull Man of the Year.
For years, Hollande was referred to as Monsieur Ordinaire. And l'homme tranquillite,"The Quiet Man." He was the Socialist Party's eternal backroom boy, working in the shadows of the party's stars, including his former wife, Segolene Royal.
Franchois Hollande is emerging as the front-runner. He's pulling ahead of incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy. Running for president is a big turnaround for Hollande.
I'm catching up on reading the Sunday Times from last Sunday. I read 'I've got a lust for . . . slippers'. It's an article about Iggy, who the article describes as the godfather of punk.
But might he now be one of us dull men?
Not only does he lust for slippers, according to the article:
• He likes to potter — walks around the garden, smells the flowers, listens to the waterfall, watches the clouds
• He's a big cloud fancier
• He's ploughing through de Tocqueville's Democracy in America
• Goes to bed at 10:00 p.m., sometimes even earlier
Here's the article: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/a_life_in_the_day/article985699.ece
Bryce Blandford
London
Dear DMC
Another suggestion for 2012's Dull Man of the Year nominees — the Swede who survived two months in his car:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2012/feb/20/car-peter-skyllberg-survived-two-months
Read more: Dull Man of Year Nominee: Swede Who Survived Two Months Buried in Car
According to research recently announced, pygmy goats develop "accents" as they grow up.
Dull Man of Year
Michael Kennedy — moves rocks every day to build seawall
Michael, who lives in Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast, spends two hours every day, except Saturdays, moving rocks to build a seawall that prevents erosion of the cliffs along the coast.
He moves about 40 pounds of rocks each day. He’s been doing this for 14 years. He’s worked 9,000 hour, has moved 200 tons of rocks.
“I used to walk to Old Hunstanton and back, two and a half miles every day, but that wasn't enough physical exercise for me. I started moving rocks and now I can’t stop. It’s better than sitting in the armchair and I’ll do it for as long as I’m healthy.”
Read more: Dull Man of the Year 2011 Announced (also Runners-Up)
Table of Contents
Michael Kennedy — two hours every day gathering rocks to build sea walls
John Kubiatowicz — measured increase in Kindl'e weight when fully loaded with books
Terry Green — "Cashier number three please," says Mr. Queue who as a matter of fact is Terry
Peter Adamson — broadcasting a History of Western Philosophy (without any gaps) in 20 minute episodes — complete Aristotle in 50 episodes
François Hollande — candidate for president of France — known as "Mr. Ordinary" and also as "The Quiet Man"
Keith Richards — closet librarian
London Police — with arms folded, stood around merely watching as the looting was taking place — now watching 40,000 hours of CCTV to catch the looters
Dear DMC
We may have suspected that a Kindle full of books weighs more than an empty one.
We were right – and here’s why:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/26/kindle-weighs-more-when-fully-loaded?INTCMP=SRCH
Regards
Steve Reszetniak
London
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Dear Steve,
This is good to know.
A billionth of a billionth of a gram increase in weight when loaded compared to empty.
I expect that Professor Kubiatowicz will be nominated for Dull Man of the Year.
Grover
London Police . . . actually, police throughout England:
• Inaction during the riots — stood by and watched
• Now spending two years watching 40,000 hours of CCTV footage to arrest the looters
Can anyone thing of a duller way for policemen/women to carry out their duties?
Dear DMC
Here is an early and unexpected nomination for Dull Man of the Year:
http://www.stonesforum.nl/index.php?topic=106185.new
Regards
Steve Reszetniak
London
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Steve,
Should we make him an honorary DMC member?
Richards is an interesting example. To be a member of the DMC, a man does not need to be totally dull, dull in all aspects of life. it's enough that he embodies some aspects of dullness. A closet librarian should be enough to make him eligible, even if his day job is an exciting one.
Grover
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Dear Grover
That sounds like a splendid idea.
Regards
Steve
Dear DMC,
Another early — and very worthy — nomination for Dull Man of the Year. We need Norfolk and we need more rather than less of it. Click here to read article from the Guardian.
Steve Reszetniak
London
Dear DMC,
Here is an early nomination for Dull Man of the Year — Mr Queue whose voice is known to many of us:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/feb/13/go-to-cashier-number-three/print
Regards
Steve Reszetniak
London
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