Re: First major snowfall this year

On 08.11.2023 14.11, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
> 
>> On 25.10.2023 16.26, Merlyne wrote:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jules Verne.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He was french, you know. All that stuff
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> about the english he wrote in 80 days -
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> he made that up. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't remember what he said about the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> English. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The character description of Phineas Fox
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and the members of the club, I mean.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't remember the descriptions. The one
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> who bet against Phineas Fogg was a real
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> asshole. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And not even in a proper gentlemanly way,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> either. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The very first scene is where Fox fires his
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> servant for serving a boiled egg that has
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> not been boiled exactly the required time.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And then he goes to his club. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That is in line with the behaviour of pompous
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> asses on shows like Downton Abbey.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Anyways, it worked out for him because he met
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Passe portout. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes. And hired him on the spot, with no
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> references and no interview or test-boiling of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> eggs. Because he had to catch a train. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We all have our own methods.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He was on a tight schedule at the tine.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Typical. Everyone is in a hurry.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> To be fair he had a lot of money on the line... I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> can see where that will make someone skip some of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the details. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sure. Philleas Fogg, you are forgiven...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You say that now, but imagine what all his
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> gentlemanly acquaintances would think if they
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> knew... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm guessing they would be thrilled that he had a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> non-white man servant. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Being english it was probably more scandalous that he
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> employed a frenchman. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It was probably socially acceptable to employ a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> fr*nchman to iron your knickers and such.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Could be, but as a man-servant he would be in direct
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> contact with his master a lot.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But still a man-servant none-the-less.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But French.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wouldn't it be better to have a Frenchman at your beck and
>>>>>>>>>>>>> call? An exotic foreign servant?
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> It's my impression the neither "exotic" nor "foreign" were
>>>>>>>>>>>> considered positive attribute in that time and place.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I have the opposite impression.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> May I suggest some contemporary (19th/early 20th century)
>>>>>>>>>> literature describing the non-english populations of the
>>>>>>>>>> empire... 
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Getting sleepy...can't seem to stay awake....
>>>>>>>>> Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Maybe some Kipling...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Can you read to me?
>>>>>>> *bats eyelashes*
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sure. But do you think you can hear it from over there.
>>>>>> (Do I even have any Kipling in the house? Hmmm)
>>>>>>
>>>>> You can call me and read a chapter or so or record a file and send
>>>>> it over. 
>>>> I still don't know if I have any Kipling. Also don't you already
>>>> have everything ever published on your e-reader thingie...
>>>>
>>>
>>> I don't have *every* book...
>>> Also, it doesn't read to me.
>> I'm sure there is an even more advanced gizmo you can buy that will
>> read to you in whatever voice you prefer.
> 
> There is. I heard BeH is going to read me some Kipling.

Well I checked. I have nothing by Kipling. I can sort of hum part of
Baloo's song for D*sney's version of the Jungle Book but that's about it.

-- 
BeH

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