Re: 14th

On 09.09.2023 22.51, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]: 
> 
>> On 06.09.2023 14.22, Merlyne wrote:
>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>
>>>> On 30.08.2023 14.42, Merlyne wrote:
>> [unreadable stuff snipped]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Stay out of my birdfeeder!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tell that to the bears.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> *opens window*
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> *yells 'Hey bears, stay out of my
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> birdfeeder* The birdfeeders are in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> garage. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Do you get many garage birds? Mine is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> too but that's because I only feed the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> birds in the winter. This time of year
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> they steal all my cherries - ripe or
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> not. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Putting the birdfeeder in the garage is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> an interim (and temporary) measure to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> dissuade the bears. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't know how resistant your garage is,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> but I've heard of bears ripping out doors
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> if the reward (or need) is high enough.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Good luck with that. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I haven't seen any bears sightings in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> area for a while. It worked. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That's good then. Unless the bears are
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> having a tactical pause while they wait for
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the birdfeeder to re-appear... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Maybe they've hacked my wifi and have ordered
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> their own seeds. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That would be alright though, wouldn't it?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Unless they used your credit card to pay for
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Which could happen if they get into my Amazon
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> account. Oh deer!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Not deer, bears. I doubt deer are good haxors,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> what with the hooves instead .of hands. Also the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> antlers tend to knock over the screen when they
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> look down on the keyboard. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> They need to get cellphones so they can say
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 'Alexa, buy me some birdseed and a mink coat'
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't know who Alexa is, but they still need to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> be able to dial the number first...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No they don't. That's how Alexa works. You talk to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the phone and it does stuff.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That's Siri, innit? Or GoOoOogle, maybe. Anyway they
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> need to unlock the phone first, and I don't think
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> face-recognition works very well with bear-faced
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> seed-stealers. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't use face recognition on my phone. It would be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> hard for them to guess and then type my pin. they'd
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> have to use a twig which I imagine would be hard to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> hold onto without opposable thumbs] 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bears could use a claw possibly. If they were careful.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bearclaws are very pointy and sharp. The kind attached
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to bear arms; not the pastry kind. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Now I want a pastry :(
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There you go. I'm sure it's all very healthy:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://duckduckgo.com/?q=wienerbr%C3%
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> B8d&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ia=images 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A lot of good a picture will do me.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Anyways, I bought some 2-bite apple turnover thingees at
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the store. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm sure they were good too, for what they were.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2-bite? As in tiny ones?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> They are small.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Perfect for when you need something sweet but don't want to
>>>>>>>>>>>>> eat a big slab of pie.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Isn't that what fruit is for?
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> What if your not in the mood for fruit?
>>>>>>>>>>> What if you want caek or pie?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> What if eating cake or pie is highly discouraged?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm sure it's on no country's food pyramid.
>>>>>>>> The baker's guild begs to differ.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> They can beg all they want. Cake and pie will never get on the
>>>>>>> pyramid. 
>>>>>> But I'm certain there was plenty of delicious baked goods *in* the
>>>>>> pyramids. 
>>>>>
>>>>> Like what?
>>>>> Something their Mummy made?
>>>> A chicken wrap maybe...
>>>>
>>>>> Ramen noodles?
>>>>> Fruit of the Tomb?
>>>> Tut y fruity Ice cream...
>>>>
>>>
>>> Ancient Egyptian puns are hard :(
>>> I'll end making an asp of myself.
>> You can probably ask your smart phone... that O'Siris thing.
> 
> That didn't land.
Did your eye-phone die?

>>>> Whatever an ancient dead pharaoh/demi-god liked to eat with their
>>>> coffee, I guess.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Did they have coffee? 
>> What good would being an ancient pharaoh if it didn't include coffee?
> 
> I'm wondering when coffee was introduced to Egypt.
Now I am too. Are you going to look it up?

>>>>>>>>>> What if you need all the vitamin C you can get?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I eat lots of fruit during the day. And broccoli.
>>>>>>>>> If you get too much vitamin C, you pee it out.
>>>>>>>> If only the broccoli poison were that easy to get rid of as
>>>>>>>> well. 
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ugh! Not this again!
>>>>>> Right. Abolish broccoli.
>>>>> Just accept it's existence and move on.
>>>> Does that sound like something a rabid cult leader would do? Banish
>>>> the abomination!
>>>>
>>> Well..
>>> When you're snoring in your yurt in your spiderman pajamas, I will
>>> sneak out and eat brocolli.
>> HAH. And Hah again. I don't even have any spiderman pyjamas... So
>> there! {and I'm not going to comment on your spelling}
> 
> I'm pretty sure that's how 'yurt' is spelt.
Sure. And broccoli is no less evil no matter how it's spelled.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Maybe if you fed the birds in the summer,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> they wouldn't take your cherries. They
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> tend to steal berries like raspberries
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and blueberries. There 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> is bird netting that can be purchased to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> keep them away from the fruit.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://duckduckgo.com/? 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> q=bird+netting&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=image
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> s 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Birds, insect larva or mildew - the result
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> is the same: not very many cherries for
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> me. At least with the birds I have the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pleasure of being woken up very, very
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> early by their 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> maniacal chirping... And 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> bird poop on the windows. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There are worse ways to be woken up.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Certainly. Like the neighbour speaking to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> her mother - at festival volume. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Or snoring.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Or the cat barfing.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I could go on and on...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't have a barfing cat.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You should definitely get one.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No need. I already have the birds and the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> neighbour. And also the neighbours hysterical
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> smushy faced mutt... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Behold! The pugliest dog in the world!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> For sleeping soundlessly through the night,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm a huge fan of ear plugs. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Then you are missing all the birdsong.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Great!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Given that the windows haven't been open at
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> night for some time due to air quality
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> warnings and/or hot, humid weather, I'm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> probably missing a lot of outdoor sounds. Not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that I'd hear them. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That global climate change has a lot to answer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I won't hear the answer because of the ear
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> plugs. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You can read about it in the paper later...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No one reads newspapers anymore.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There are on-line versions. On the internet.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> As I said, no reads newspapers anymore. They get
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> their news from social media. Except in Canada
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> where Meta had a big fight with the government. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Get with the Times...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No thanks, that's a Murdock paper now... I don't
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> read stuff like that. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Remember Bat boy?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ehh, no?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oh dear!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What!!?! Who is bat boy?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It was a tabloid thing back in the day.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_Boy_(character)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm shocked - shocked I tell you - to learn that a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> newspaper would just make up a story, with no regard for
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the integrity of the press. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No, you aren't.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That may or may not have been sarcastic...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I thought it was fake outrage.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> The outrage is real. The shock maybe not so much.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I see. Batboy enrages you. Noted.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Not Batboy as such - the lack of clarity about the fact that
>>>>>>>>>> Batboy was wholly fictional.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It's pretty obvious, no?
>>>>>>>>> Although, I'm sure there are a few kooks who believe he is
>>>>>>>>> real. *shrug*
>>>>>>>> I refer you to the case of the radio dramatisation of H.G.
>>>>>>>> Wells' "The War of the Worlds".
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Yes, yes...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> There is also the ancient dictum (about writing manuals): Don't
>>>>>>>> write to be understood - write to not be *mis*understood.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I always write user guide like the audience is a 6 year old.
>>>>>>> Even then (with screenshots) people mess things up.
>>>>>>> I had a math professor that told me: it's not that people can't
>>>>>>> do math, they just can't read.
>>>>>>> Ah...the lost art of reading...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Speaking of... I just finished The Clan of the Cave Bear. All 587
>>>>>> pages of it. That's a lot of words. Not all of them strictly
>>>>>> necessary in my opinion...
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm on book 3 of the Wheel of Time series. The average size is 826 
>>>>> pages. There are 13 books plus a prequel.
>>>>> So there!
>>>>
>>>> Not that it's a competition or anything but I did finish the next
>>>> book in the series and am 2/3 through the third.
>>>> Before that I (re)read the 13 volumes of the chronicles of Pern that
>>>> I have. It's mostly about dragons - science fiction dragons.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I used to read those when I was a teenager. My dad took them to work
>>> for a book sale and all the computer nerds lost their minds.
>> That can't have been good for productivity...
> 
> They were government jobs.
Government jobs have productivity measurements too. They are just...
different.

>> I never knew about them before I inherited them, and I didn't consider
>> them for reading for a long time, thinking they were 'Fantasy'.
>> Because of the dragons.
> 
> I liek dragons!
> The books are more about how civilization can devolve.
And the importance of preserving knowledge.
And how some people are just shitty humans, through malice or ignorance.
And dragons.

>>> I haven't been reading as much as I normally do in the summer.
>>> Usually, I go outside and lounge and read but this summer has been
>>> either super hot or raining, making the mosquitoes quite fierce. Also
>>> my Kobo broke. 
>>
>> Assuming a Kobo is some kind of e-reader and not your favourite
>> lounge-chair, let me point out that books also come as self-contained
>> stacks of printed paper...
>>
> 
> Yes. I can put several on a Kobo which weighs a few ounces. This comes 
> in handy when you finish a book when you are away from home.
Unless you run out of battery and forget the charger.

> Also, with paper books, you have to procure more and then rid yourself 
> of them once finished.
Get Rid Of Books!!?? What is this madness. What if you want to read them
again at some point?
Also a Kobo has infinite storage, I take it?
 --
BeH

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