Re: Polar vortex

On 18.08.2023 14.51, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]: 
> 
>> On 13.08.2023 23.28, Merlyne wrote:
>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>
>>>> On 09.08.2023 14.19, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 01.08.2023 13.32, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 27.07.2023 15.32, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On 22.07.2023 17.21, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 18.07.2023 13.24, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 12.07.2023 13.22, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> [attributions]
>>>>>>>>>>> [arbitrations]
>>>>>>>>>> [artifacts]
>>>>>>>>> [artifactory]
>>>>>>>> [artichoke factory]
>>>>>>> [olfactory]
>>>>>> [oligarchy]
>>>>> [obfuscate]
>>>> [operate]
>>> [oaklike]
>> [Oakley]
> [offramp]
[osprey]
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [gone but not forgotten]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [I've already forgotten]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Doesn't bode well for your end of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> term > exams. You want me to paste
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it >>>> back in?] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [exams?]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Yes. At the end of the year.]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [So I still have some time then]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [That's not the right attitude. If you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> don't keep up during the year you'll
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> never be able to get through it all in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> revision.] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [I'll copy off your test]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [I shall be giving the test.]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Then you'll give me a good mark because
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> we know each other] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [That is not how it works. That is not how
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> anything works. Also it may be someone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> else doing the marking.] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [You'll tell me the answers so I get a good
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mark] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [That would be cheating]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [So? do you want me to fail?]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [I want you to study, apply yourself, make the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> effort, stuff like that] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Why? What's in it for you?]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [I want you to do well, is all]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [I'm destined to fail since I don't even know
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> what I'm being tested about]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [It's about all the vital and interesting
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> information being presented in this very
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> newsgroup. I though that was clear.] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Nope. Was as clear as mud. I think I will be away
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that day.] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [You are going to make me look bad when no-one
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> passes my test.] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Looks good on you since you refused to help me out]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [So my options are to look like an incompetent
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> test-giver or behave unethically? Why do you hate me?]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Deflect!]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What?! Squirrel? Where...?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Apparerntly you've mistaken me for a dog.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So the squirrel wasn't the deflection? What was it, then?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Surely it can't be the pair of swallows that has built
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> their nest on the door to my garage/storage
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> shed/workshop.... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> You have a workshop?
>>>>>>>>>>>> I have a long table with a lamp and a couple of vises and a
>>>>>>>>>>>> lot of stuff on it in the garage. That ought to count.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Not that I can easily get to it at the moment, with the nest
>>>>>>>>>>>> on the door. The eggs have hatched so it's now a nest of
>>>>>>>>>>>> baby birds constantly being fed by two very busy swallows.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> It appears I was wrong. The increased activity I observed must
>>>>>>>>>> have been a final effort to finish the nest before laying.
>>>>>>>>>> Probably something to do with a mortgage maturing or some
>>>>>>>>>> such. So we are all still waiting for the hatching (and the
>>>>>>>>>> gender reveal party). 
>>>>>>>>> Hopefully it won't start a fire.
>>>>>>>> Swallows have more sense than that.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> There'll be 2 of each.
>>>>>>>> We shall see. All in good time.
>>>>>>> [waits]
>>>>>> Nothing further to report yet.
>>>>> [waits some more]
>>>>
>>>> THEY LIVE. I hear them when the parent-birds bring food (and remove
>>>> droppings). So far I've only seen three wide-open beaklets at a
>>>> time. 
>>>
>>> Do birds clean the nest?
>> Some do. Mostly (including swallows, sadly) the young'uns just excrete
>> over the edge of the nest once they a big enough to move around a bit.
> Watch out below!
I don't use that door at the moment anyway. I will probably be available
soon, though. The new birds have taken to fly about... Which hopefully
means the pile of shit below the nest won't grow any further.

>>> I feel like I'm setting myself up for a bad pun here.
>> When have I ever produced a bad pun?
> 
> Puns, by definition, are bad.
Only the puny ones. They are hard to swallow.

>> Also I don't see a possible pun presenting.
> Phew!
> That would make me stark raven mad!
There's no reason to let your gull rise because of a pun.

>>>>>>>>>>> Aww...cute!
>>>>>>>>>>> Yep. They'll dive-bomb you.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> The last pair I had didn't. They were too busy to worry about
>>>>>>>>>> me at all. At most they made an extra go-around to try and
>>>>>>>>>> confuse me - the giant predator - before landing.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Except you aren't a predator.
>>>>>>>> They don't know that. Also I could be a fire hazard. No smoke
>>>>>>>> without and such...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Maybe you shouldn't smoke around their home.
>>>>>> I'm not. I'm smoking around *my' home.
>>>>> I'm sure that's not how the birds see things.
>>>>
>>>> No, they probably see a giant potential predator.
>>>
>>> Get off the lawn!
>> It's my lawn and I'll do what I want. Anyway I'm mostly standing on
>> the doorstep when I observe the nest.
> 
> Ooo! A peeper!
> {more of a frog joke}
>>
>>>>>>>>> I can put in a good word, if you liek.
>>>>>>>> You speak swallow? These are barn swallows; they may have quite
>>>>>>>> a strong accent.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have an app that talks to birds.
>>>>>> As in making bird sounds...?
>>>>> Yeah
>>>>>>> Usually enrages them.
>>>>>> It's usually male birds that make the most noise. Something about
>>>>>> how great they are at the sex and bringing up young'uns. And they
>>>>>> as a rule don't like other male birds making noise close by.
>>>>>>
>>>>> Some male birds make the nest. I'm sure some the bragging is about
>>>>> that. 
>>>>
>>>> That too... pretty important part of bringing up young'uns.
>>>>
>>> Bragging about making a nest is?
>>
>> Building a brag-worthy nest is.
>>
> 
> It's mostly twigs and mud. Low resale value.
And yet they tend to come back to it year after year. Also the little
(staying) birds like to use it in winter.

-- 
BeH

" We are trapped by language to such a degree that every attempt to
formulate insight is a play on words." - Niels Bohr