Re: Polar vortex

On 24.08.2023 16.55, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]: 
> 
>> 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]
> [ookpik]
[awww... olympic]
>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [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. 
>>
> You can clean it up.

I'll probably have to. It's not like the birds are gonna do it. After
all I've done for them...

>>>>> 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.
> I'm going cold turkey.
Chickening out, you mean...

>>>> 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.
> I'm starling to get annoyed owl-ready.
Don't go all emu on me...

>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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.
> 
> The birds here don't seem to reuse nests. The robins have 2 batches and 
> seem to make a new nest each time.
> Maybe it's part of the pagentry of laying eggs.
Or maybe they just have to much time on their hands... Getting their
food delivered and all.

-- 
BeH

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